Strange Happenings
by Ardhoniel Marvelite
Summary: Wanda Maximoff investigates a powerful but hidden magical aura, only to find herself caught up in events that profoundly change her life, and the life of the Earth's Sorcerer Supreme, Stephen Strange... for good. Features an obscure semi-canon character from Marvel's short-lived Epic Anthology comic.
1. Chapter 1

**Strange Happenings**

 _ **Chapter One**_

Wanda Maximoff peered out of the motel window, face creased in a frown. Outside, the normal hustle and bustle of New Orleans carried on as usual, no-one out there realising that a magical battle had gone on not two hours ago, and that a life had been lost.

She shook her head slightly, recalling the events that had brought her into this situation. Having come to New Orleans to track down the powerful magical aura she'd sensed for the past few days that was somehow cloaked from her sight, she'd stumbled onto some of Dormammu's servants, stalking what had at first appeared to be a mother and adolescent daughter- until they actually attacked. Then, the woman had revealed herself to be Vesper, a Mhuruuk from the Dark Dimension, and the apparently human girl's 'aunt' and guardian. Wanda had forced down the flurry of questions that sprung to her mind about why such a being would be on Earth, instead joining in the battle to protect the young girl, who appeared to be the target of the assault.

More and more of Dormammu's minions had appeared, and eventually, the Mhuruuk woman had been injured. With a last burst of energy, she had flung the assailants away, then quickly, in a low tone, had insisted Wanda take the girl- Sofia- and flee, keeping the girl safe at all cost.

Sofia had protested, of course, not wanting to leave her 'aunt', but Vesper had chanted a spell, teleporting her and Wanda away, just as the next wave of creatures fell upon her. The last they saw, Vesper was losing the fight and had fallen to her knees. Then they were gone.

They had found themselves on the other side of the city, alone, and although Wanda's mind still whirled with questions, she kept her wits about her enough to cast a spell that would hide them from all seekers before hauling the girl to the nearest motel to regroup and plan. If the girl was in danger from Dormammu, then no chances could be taken. As for _why_ Sofia was threatened by Dormammu...

Wanda had tried to question the nearly-hysterical girl, but it soon became clear she had no answers. Eventually, Wanda had cast a calming spell and urged the girl to sleep. Now, watching the black-haired girl slumber, Wanda realised with a jolt that Sofia looked extraordinarily familiar. Black hair with a white streak near the temples, well-defined features, and sharp green eyes... Wanda knew what she _thought_ this meant, but how could that be? Stephen Strange had had a long-standing relationship with Dormammu's niece Clea, but they had no children! Wanda had known Stephen for years and he had never once mentioned a daughter...

Wanda groaned. If Vesper had survived, she could have asked her for more information, but now she had to try and decide what to do on her own. Stephen would be the best person to ask about fending off Dormammu, but if she went to him and it turned out he really _did_ know nothing of this girl... what then?

Well... she didn't exactly have many other options. But maybe an astral communication first, just to ask some questions, see if it appeared he _did_ know about Sofia... or not. And if not... Wanda nearly winced. _Her_ breaking the news to Stephen, that he likely had a teenaged daughter he knew nothing about? After all the ups and downs she knew he'd had with Clea? Well, at least she wouldn't be within range of his anger.

Another look at Sofia, to ensure the girl slept soundly, (She really did look the image of Stephen!) and another quick glance at the magical protective wards now covering the room's entrances, and then Wanda closed her eyes in concentration and willed her astral form to leave her physical one, then cast her senses about, checking for unseen danger nearby, before 'reaching' with her mind and calling out. 'Stephen?'

She 'heard' a reply immediately, and caught a brief glimpse of Stephen's study, before his astral form came to join hers.

He greeted her politely, as always, and Wanda returned the sentiment. _Now what?_ Best to start off vaguely...

'...Sorry to bother you like this, but ... well, I just fended off a group of Dormammu's servants smack in the middle of New Orleans. I'm just wondering if you had any idea what they might want there?'

'New Orleans?' Stephen frowned, puzzled. "Nothing that immediately comes to mind. It is a magically rich area, but I know of nothing there that would draw Dormammu's attention. I haven't seen anything of note there for more than a decade and a half.'

 _Coincidental timing, given that Sofia is about fifteen_... Wanda mused, then prayed Stephen hadn't overheard that thought. It appeared he hadn't, she noted with relief. 'Nothing at all? Because-' _Here goes nothing_... 'One of the targets of the attack was a Mhuruuk named Vesper.'

Now Stephen looked genuinely startled. 'Vesper?! But she was Clea's most loyal confidant and ally... why in blazes would she be on _Earth_?'

 _That's a very good question_. 'I'm sorry, Stephen, but she didn't survive.'

Stephen frowned. 'So Dormammu's creatures find Vesper, who is for some reason in New Orleans, destroy her... and simply leave?'

'I don't know for certain they've left yet. But I'm in a warded place right now.' Wanda took a deep breath. 'We may need to come to you.'

A brow raised. 'We?'

'Vesper was only one of the targets.' Wanda hesitated. 'She was protecting a teenaged girl who believed Vesper was her aunt. The girl's safe with me now.' Here she stopped, for how could she simply blurt out who she thought Sofia was? Clearly Stephen had no idea...

Stephen now looked baffled. 'A teenager?'

'Yes. Her name is Sofia.' Another pause. There was absolutely no reaction from Stephen- the name meant nothing to him, Wanda was sure. That only made this more difficult to say. 'I don't really know how to say this, so...' Wanda reached out with her mind and extended the view of the room until Sofia's sleeping form could be seen.

Stephen drew in his breath sharply as he took in the sight of the girl, looking so much like him, the blood draining from his face. He looked at Wanda, as if hoping she would say this was all a hoax.

She held his gaze, not knowing what to say. He shook his head slowly, face setting firmly.

'This _has_ to be some sort of illusion. A trick. There's no way... Clea would never have kept _this_ from me.' He sounded angry, voice full of denial, but there was pain underlying in his tone.

'Stephen-'

'It's a lie!'

And with that, the projection vanished. Wanda wasn't sure if that had been intentional, or if Stephen had been so angry and confused that he'd simply lost his concentration, but either way, their talk was over. _Now what?_

Wanda sighed heavily. If she couldn't resume contact with Stephen, and that probably wasn't the wisest idea, given the mood he was undoubtedly in after her revelation, then she'd simply have to take Sofia to New York and _make_ him deal with this. It was understandable that he'd want to think it was a trick- better that than believe that his ex-wife had kept their own daughter a secret from him for so many years- but ignoring problems did not make them disappear.

New York it would be then. She'd let Sofia sleep a little longer, then they'd head for the train station. It would be a long journey, but trains were safer than planes- far less security checks involved.

Wanda _did_ in fact cast a spell to remove glamours, on the off chance that Stephen was right, but nothing about Sofia's appearance changed. She was exactly who she appeared to be. Wanda sighed softly. _Now to convince Stephen of that, once we get there.._..

 _ **To be continued...**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Stephen Strange breathed heavily, still sat cross-legged in his study. Wanda's revelations had left him feeling as if all the air had been punched from his lungs. He struggled to make sense of what he had just learned. _A daughter?!_ If it was true, his cynical self pointed out. It was entirely possible that his first reaction had been correct, and this was some sort of illusion, to trap him. But a trap set by whom and why? And if that were _not_ the case... No. It had to be. That or Wanda was mistaken. There was _no way_ that Clea would have borne him a child, then hidden her on Earth, in _his_ domain, and not once in the intervening years told him of that small detail! Surely, despite all the problems he and Clea had, she would have told him something as important as _that_...

He groaned, burying his face in his hands as he remembered the brief glimpse he'd had of the girl before his shock had broken his mental communication with Wanda. That glimpse had been enough, however, for him to understand what the odds were of her _not_ really being his daughter- slim. Slim to the point of impossible. Unless Stephen had an identical twin he hadn't known of and _that_ man had had a daughter fifteen years ago! The girl had been the spitting image of him.

He clenched his teeth, knowing he really had no choice but to accept this- at the very least until he had resumed contact with Wanda and got a handle on what was going on. Even if this girl turned out to be nothing to do with him (Unlikely! A voice in his mind taunted), it seemed Dormammu thought she was a threat. And Stephen was obligated to deal with that.

The throat clearing in the study doorway nearly made him jump, which only went to show how distracted Stephen was by all this- Wong could never sneak up on him normally, unless he was astrally somewhere else. He turned to face his friend, schooling his face to appear blank, though Vishanti only knew the turmoil that might be showing in his eyes- his mind was still reeling.

"Is something the matter, Stephen?" Wong's tone was low, but his eyes were piercing. Clearly, he knew that _something_ was badly wrong.

Stephen exhaled shakily, not looking his long-time friend in the eye. "I... I have just had some potentially shocking news. If it's even the truth..."

Wong stepped into the study, brow furrowed. "Is there some mystical threat? I have sensed nothing amiss..."

"No, no. Nothing apocalyptic." Stephen grinned wryly. "For a change." Though, he reflected, that would actually be preferable in some ways. World-threatening supernatural disaster? That, he knew how to handle. Discovering your ex-wife had (possibly) lied to you for over a decade and knowing you might soon have to meet a daughter you knew nothing of and did not have the faintest idea how to relate to? That was the stuff of nightmares.

Wong broke into his thoughts. "Well, what is it, then? You are very pale..."

Stephen considered. _I have to start asking questions of someone._ "Wong, did you ever, during the later years of my marriage to Clea, ever have the impression that she hid something from me?"

Wong's expression went studiously blank. No doubt he thought Stephen's agitation was due to having heard from his ex-wife. "Not particularly, but I admit I did not truly watch for deception on her part."

Stephen threw caution to the wind. "So you never had any idea that she might have had a child and not told me?"

It was Wong's turn to be visibly startled. "A _child_? Clea?! No... I can safely say that never occurred to me." He put a bracing hand on Stephen's shoulder. "I am sorry. Perhaps, if such is true, it is for the best that you and she parted. Your duties as Sorcerer Supreme would make parenthood well-nigh impossible." Wong shook his head in disgust. "And for her to have borne another man's child while married!"

Stephen shook his head, a bitter laugh escaping. He could understand why Wong had drawn that conclusion, but it was best to get this out in the open. "Oh, no, my friend." His voice was jagged as broken glass. "According to my source," he wouldn't mention Wanda yet, "The girl now being targeted by Dormammu's forces is the daughter of Clea... and myself."

Wong's mouth dropped open. Stephen went on, as emotionlessly as possible, to explain what he had learned from Wanda Maximoff. When that was over, both men sat in stunned silence.

Wong shook his head, still hardly believing. "All these years, and we sensed nothing. Powerful magic must have been used to cloak the girl from our sight."

Stephen nodded grimly. "I admit I don't know what to do. Part of me doesn't want to believe this. Then, when I think it _must_ be true, I gain a burning urge to teleport to the Dark Dimension and strangle Clea for hiding something this important. Then I actually think of _meeting_ this girl... and I admit I am petrified. Who knows what she must have been told about me? What am I supposed to _say_ , if we meet?" He shook his head, despairing at the incomprehensible whirl of emotions in his mind.

"If it weren't for the threat of Dormammu, I think I would likely _not_ involve myself in the girl's- Sofia's- life at all. She might be better off that way..." What could he offer a daughter, anyway? Except a life of constant peril and dangerous magic that was so far from 'normal' it was off the map! He squared his shoulders. It would be best, once the danger of Dormammu was over, if he just let Sofia be. He informed Wong of as much.

"Do you really believe that?" Wong's gaze seemed to pierce straight through him. "If you manage to keep Sofia from Dormammu, could you really then turn your back on your own flesh and blood? Your own child?"

Stephen winced, but Wong wasn't done. "And were you not told that Sofia's guardian has perished? Do you plan to leave her on the streets? Or to send her back to Clea in the Dark Dimension, one of the first places Dormammu will look, where the child would be in even greater danger?"

Stephen flinched, staring at the floor. "I don't know what to do." It was a blow to his pride to admit that. He _always_ had some idea of how to act in any given situation. But this... he had never imagined being in this situation.

Wong's gaze softened slightly. "For now, I think it best if we focus on the danger of Dormammu knowing of this girl. Ensure that Sofia and whoever your mysterious source of information is are safe, and _then_ we can worry about what will be done next."

Stephen nodded gratefully, thankful as ever to have Wong act as his clear-headed friend when things became too much for him. "Thank you, my friend. I had best scry for them first, make sure no further attacks have happened whilst I was... dealing with my shock." _Also known as 'freaking out_ '. His inner voice mocked. Stephen firmly disregarded it.

Wong inclined his head, leaving the room as silently as he had entered. Stephen took several calm, centering breaths, and willed the Eye of Agamotto to aid him as he focused on Sofia, using the image Wanda had shown him as a guide.

Nothing. Blank, empty mist. Stephen hesitated, and then shifted tactics, calling up an image of Wanda Maximoff instead. This time the vision was instantaneous. He could see her clearly, standing on a platform, boarding a train. He could see her speaking to someone, but the opaque mist obscured the other person's identity. He frowned. He _knew_ she had to be with Sofia, so why couldn't he see the girl herself?

He studied the fog instead. It was similar to the mist he had sensed around New Orleans for years,- Stephen tensed. Wanda had said she found Sofia in New Orleans. He had not seen anything clearly in that area for about fifteen years. Had Sofia and Vesper been there _all those years_ and he'd never suspected anything?! His blood boiled. If he could get hold of Vesper... He shook his head. He couldn't, as she had perished protecting Sofia. Stephen knew Wong had been right- they needed to get Sofia to safety, and _then_ the hows and whys of all this could be worked out.

Shifting his gaze back to Wanda, he let his mind brush hers just enough to see where they were heading. _New York. Of course._ Wanda was bringing Sofia to him. That would make things easier- as long as nothing disastrous happened en route! He muttered a quick protective chant, focusing on Wanda, hoping it would extend to Sofia as well, despite his mystical blindness to her presence. That too could be removed, but it was best to wait until they met in person. _Another thing to worry about_.

Still, he had several days to decide what he would say to Sofia. What would she expect from him? But, thankfully, he had time to sort out his emotions somewhat. A train from New Orleans to New York would not be swift. He would be able to watch over them, guard them as best he could from afar, and then be there when they arrived. A cold fear rose again at the thought of having a teenaged daughter essentially just dropped into his life. He crushed his unease. There wasn't time for it.

 _In the meantime, let's see if I can't distract Dormammu's forces a little_. Relieved to have something to do besides wait, Stephen cast his astral form forth, searching for traces of Dormammu's creatures. _They won't find their mission as easy as they think._ Stephen's mind wandered somewhat, to Clea. His face turned grim, even in his astral form. _And when this is over, Clea will have a LOT of explaining to do_. Letting his anger fuel him, he redoubled his efforts on his hunt for Dormammu's minions. He could only hope they hadn't already tracked Wanda and Sofia... that would make their journey far more perilous.

* * *

Wanda had insisted she be the first to board the train and enter their compartment, despite Sofia's protests that she could 'look after herself'. Reaching out with her senses, she felt nothing amiss, though she _did_ pick up some sort of protective ward on herself. She recognised the spell's origin and suppressed a smirk. _Just can't leave well enough alone, can you, Stephen?_ She glanced back into the corridor. "All right, come on."

Sofia stalked in moodily, and flopped dramatically on a window seat, pointedly _not_ looking at Wanda, who merely rolled her eyes at this usual 'teenage' attitude and quickly drew protective runes on the train windows and doorways.

"What's that for?" Sofia sounded curious despite herself.

"Just to make sure nothing uninvited tries to get to us before we get to New York."

"Like those things that k-killed Aunt Vesper?" Sofia tried to hide the quaver in her voice, but failed.

Wanda finished her spell-casting, watching as the symbols glowed red before vanishing from sight, then nodded slowly, sitting down next to Sofia. "I'm sorry about your loss."

Sofia wiped her eyes. "I'll be OK once those _things_ are taken care of. That's why we're going to New York, right? You said there's someone there who can help us? Even though I don't know why those creatures are even after me..." _And I sure don't want them to come back!_

Wanda eyed her young charge thoughtfully. That _was_ the story she'd given Sofia to get her to co-operate, that they were going to find a sorcerer who could help make sure the creatures that had attacked didn't come back, but it was becoming increasingly clear that the young girl had no idea that the sorcerer in question was her own father. But was it really Wanda's place to tell Sofia that? Shouldn't that be down to Stephen himself? And Clea... what was _her_ part in all this? Vesper, Sofia's 'aunt', had been a Mhuruuk, so Clea _had_ to be Sofia's mother, which would also explain Dormammu's apparent interest in Sofia- she would be his great-niece and a threat to his rule of the Dark Dimension, at least in his own view.

But Sofia appeared completely ignorant of the whole chaotic mess she had been born into- she still believed Vesper was her natural aunt!

Wanda shook her head minutely. She _couldn't_ just let all this be dropped on Sofia as soon as they got to New York! Quite apart from anything else, as adept a sorcerer as Stephen Strange was, he was _terrible_ at handling things sensitively. And Wanda would have days in which to explain things to Sofia, as well as giving the girl time to adjust. Still, it was best to start out slowly... and, Wanda decided, she would only tell Sofia about Stephen. He hadn't known anything about Sofia, so if the girl was angry about being 'ignored', Wanda could be totally honest about why Stephen hadn't found Sofia before now.

Wanda had absolutely no idea about Clea's plans or motives regarding Sofia however, so that subject would be left alone as much as possible. (Honestly, she had no idea what the woman had been _thinking_ , leaving her own daughter anonymous and all but unprotected, and never even _telling_ Stephen about her- the Sorcerer Supreme had numerous enemies as well! It was a miracle Sofia had been hidden for all these years.)

She looked at Sofia carefully. "Sofia... did your... aunt... ever tell you anything about your parents?"

Sofia blinked a few times. "No... well, she said my mother sent me away to keep me safe, but I don't know from what or who..." Her green eyes narrowed. "Is that something to do with those demon things?"

 _Probably_. "I'm not sure." Wanda hedged. "And what did Vesper say about your father?"

Sofia's face scrunched up. "Nothing, now I think about it. But then, she never really told me anything about my mom either. Why?"

Wanda took a deep breath. "So the name Stephen Strange means nothing to you?"

"Nope. Well, I've heard rumours about him. He's supposed to be super-powerful in magic, but... hey, is that who we're going to see?" Sofia's eyes gleamed. "Cool!"

Wanda managed a weak smile. "Yes, but..." Not knowing what else to do, she conjured an image of Stephen, as clear as a photograph. If Sofia saw the likeness between them as Stephen had...

Sofia peered at the projected image. "Is that him?" She stared, then her face creased into a frown. "No... No WAY. He... he looks just like me!"

"Actually, Sofia... it's more that _you_ look like _him_."

Sofia's face paled. "What?"

Wanda put a steadying hand on her arm. "I made contact with him a few hours ago, and I can assure you he had no idea you existed- he was as shocked as you are now, but..." She sighed. _I've done this wrong_. "He's your father."

Sofia gaped at her, then stared blankly at the image still hovering in mid air, lost for words, looking absolutely overwhelmed. _No freaking way_...

The train journey continued in silence for some time, Wanda wanting to give Sofia time to accept what she'd been told. The girl was probably in a slight state of shock, but there was no rush.

She was aware of the demonic entities that had killed Vesper searching the countryside nearby, but her runed wards, and Stephen's protection spell, would be enough to keep her and Sofia safe. They had to be enough... A direct fight, Wanda alone against the sheer numbers that Dormammu could send... It didn't bear thinking about. The spells would _have_ to hold until they reached New York...

 **To be continued...**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Sofia had been fairly quiet for some time, ever since Wanda had told her who Stephen was. She sat with her feet on the seat, knees pulled to her chest, a thoughtful look on her face.

Wanda had no idea what might be going through the girl's mind. She'd discovered different 'fathers' herself several times in her lifetime, and understood how hard it was to deal with, re-adjusting your view of yourself and your identity. But she knew she'd said enough for now, and would let Sofia ask questions if and when she wanted to.

"How long til we get to New York?" Sofia asked eventually.

"Three or four days, provided nothing goes wrong." Wanda could have kicked herself for saying that. Tempting fate was never wise. Especially not when you were being hunted by an extradimensional warlord with immense magical powers like Dormammu. Having made herself uneasy, she checked the protective wards again. They seemed to be intact.

Sofia gnawed her lip. "Wanda, do you think Da- er, Stephen will want to see me?"

Wanda raised a brow. "Of course. Why wouldn't he?"

Sofia shrugged. "Dunno. You said he didn't know about me though, so I keep thinking maybe he won't want me."

"Sofia-"

"And Vesper had to have kept me from him for a reason." Sofia's voice was determined, as if she was trying to convince herself that her former guardian had done the right thing in keeping her hidden. "There has to be a _reason_ she never told me about him, or him about me!"

Actually, there probably was a reason, but Wanda wasn't about to go into that with Sofia. Vesper could only have been following Clea's orders in hiding Sofia from Stephen, and it wasn't Wanda's place to vilify Clea's (foolish) actions in front of her daughter. As far as she could tell. Sofia knew less about her mother than she did about her father!

As if she'd been picking up Wanda's thoughts, Sofia tensed, her eyes narrowing. "So you've known my da- Stephen for a long time?"

"Yes..."

"You're not..." Sofia scrutinised Wanda carefully, before slumping back with a sigh, her face falling. "Nope. Can't be."

Wanda blinked. "Can't be what?"

Sofia shrugged. "I always used to think, when I was little, that my parents would come find me someday. You know my dad, so I thought maybe..."

Wanda jumped, startled. "Oh, Sofia... No. I am not your mother."

Another shrug. "Vesper said once that Mom would come find me someday, when it was safe. I know it's hardly safe now, but... never mind. It's stupid. She can't have wanted me, or she'd have kept me, right?"

Wanda had to bite her tongue to keep from saying what she thought about Clea's evidently handing her daughter away without a second thought before Sofia was old enough to even remember her. She took a few calming breaths before replying. "Sofia, I don't know your mother very well. I saw her a few times with your father, years ago. Her life, and the way she has to live, is dangerous. I'm sure she was doing what she thought best for you."

"But why not just give me to my dad, instead of leaving me with Vesper?"

"I don't know. I'm sorry. I wish I could give you answers. I don't know if anyone can." Wanda wasn't even going to attempt to justify THAT decision of Clea's- it didn't make any sense, and she seethed just thinking about how unfair it was, to Stephen _and_ Sofia.

"So she's not with Stephen now?"

Wanda shook her head. "Last I heard, their marriage had ended." It was best, for now, not to start explaining that Clea was from another dimension entirely and that her uncle- Sofia's great-uncle- was behind the recent attack. _Speaking of that_... Wanda reached out with her mind. Dormammu's creatures were still following the train. She held back a sigh. She _could_ get rid of them, but that would at the very least weaken the wards that protected her and Sofia.

"They were married?" Sofia's voice was eager, her eyes bright. She clearly wanted to know more about her parents, but Wanda felt uneasy. It should really be Stephen's place to tell Sofia all this. But then, how likely would he be, in this situation, to give an unbiased version of events? She hedged the matter for now, simply replying with a nod.

Sofia seemed to understand that this wasn't something Wanda felt comfortable discussing. Her brow creased thoughtfully. "What's her name? My mom," she clarified.

Wanda sighed. "Clea. Her name's Clea."

Sofia mulled this over, staying quiet. Wanda did another cautionary check of the wards- only to tense as one of the demonic glowing entities that had pursued them flared into view. The wards reacted, glowing brighter, but the creature seemed unaffected. Sofia caught sight of the creature and stifled a cry of fear, face paling.

Wanda backed away, yanking Sofia from her seat and pulling the girl behind her safely. Hopefully Stephen's protection spell on her would shield Sofia too, if the thing managed to get in. Still, even if it didn't, there was only one creature. One, she knew she could handle.

Of course, as soon as she'd thought that, there was scratching on the roof, and the ceiling began to glow as if it were heating up. Wanda concentrated and the reddish glow of her powers surrounded her hands, ready to fight.

With a screech of triumph, the creature at the window burst through the wards, plainly not caring about the third-degree burns it had received while doing so. It jabbered away excitedly, eerie red eyes locked on Sofia, who recoiled, beginning to chant a spell under her breath. Wanda knew the thing would likely attack before Sofia could finish her chant, and so stepped in.

A well-placed blast of hex energy knocked the creature off its feet, but oddly, it continued to glow. The heat descending from the ceiling was worsening as well.

The air grew hotter and hotter, and Wanda, suddenly recognising the source of the energy and realising what was happening, _just_ had time to tackle Sofia to the floor, sheltering the girl beneath her, as eldritch fire filled the compartment, and Dormammu's voice echoed from the flames.

* * *

Stephen gasped as he suddenly picked a massive surge of Faltine energy. He'd been keeping watch for any traces of this type of power, in case Dormammu tried anything worse than simply sending his minions to capture Sofia, in between brief checks on Wanda and Sofia themselves (and frequent mental rehearsals of what exactly he would say upon finally meeting Sofia). Typically, it _would_ be on one of the times he was watching elsewhere for signs of danger that Dormammu tried something.

Quickly, Stephen projected his astral form to Wanda's location, praying that he wasn't too late, that nothing had happened to Sofia already- he hadn't even had a chance to meet his daughter yet! Newly-discovered child or not, he found he already wanted to protect her as a father should, bizarre and unexpected as the notion still was. If he wasn't quick enough, and anything happened, he knew he'd never forgive himself. _Vishanti, please let it not be too late!_

Hurtling rapidly through time and space, he found himself watching as Dormammu loomed over Wanda Maximoff, with Sofia shielded protectively behind her. Unseen, Stephen prepared to intervene, to distract Dormammu, but the Dread One had ensured no-one who was not physically present could become involved. Stephen could not do anything besides watch. _No!_

* * *

Wanda made sure Sofia was completely shielded by her body as the unnatural flames intensified.

" **Give me the girl-child**." Dormammu's voice made the whole compartment shake.

Sofia made an incoherent noise of fear and clutched at Wanda.

The mass of flames receded and writhed, forming the flaming visage of Dormammu himself. Wanda stared back defiantly, having no intention of letting him see her fear. She could feel Sofia trembling behind her.

" **I will not ask again, mortal. Hand over the girl**." Dormammu's flaming face loomed closer, in an attempt to intimidate- Wanda could now feel heat from his form beginning to burn her skin. She squared her shoulders, subtly drawing on her powers and chanting in her mind, preparing for one _very_ desperate move.

"No." Wanda's tone was decisive. "Never."

Dormammu's image shifted even closer, and evolving into something far more threatening. " **Then you will suffer greatly, and die screaming for hampering My will, before I merely take the child anyway. Die knowing you have failed!** " His face became an enormous flaming hand, unceremoniously batting Wanda aside before completely engulfing Sofia, who screamed.

Wanda, however, had not been caught totally off-guard. As her form was tossed like a rag doll, she finished her rushed attempt at an unspoken banishment incantation, and flung the gathered energy at Dormammu even as she scrambled to her feet, reaching through the flames blindly, grabbing for Sofia so she would not inadvertantly be sent away _with_ Dormammu.

She got a firm grip on Sofia's arm, and clung tightly to the unconscious girl as Dormammu's bellow of fury told her she'd been successful.

" **You will pay for this, foolish human! This matter is not yet finished!** " He raged as his burning form and voice faded from sight and hearing.

Wanda exhaled heavily in relief, before looking at Sofia. The girl appeared to have fainted, but was breathing and appeared unharmed. It was the shock as much as anything that had made her pass out, Wanda was fairly certain. She let herself relax fully when it turned out that Dormammu's creatures had been cast out with him. A familiar presence nagged at her mind though. She was about to call Stephen out for spying when his astral form flickered into view.

"Perfect timing." Wanda said dryly.

Stephen looked guilty, a rare expression on the face of the Sorcerer Supreme. Wanda knew this wasn't the time to comment on that, however.

Stephen spread his hands. "I apologise. I was caught off guard. I was looking for danger elsewhere when I sensed what was going on here. By the time I arrived, Dormammu had made sure I could not step in. He must have realised I would sense his presence." He took a good look at the still-unconscious Sofia for the first time, marveling at how like him she really was. _The spell keeping her veiled from my astral sight is no longer working_ , he noted abstractedly. _Perhaps now that I know of her existence, it has worn away. Or it may have been tied to Vesper's life-force._...

He hung his head, thinking of the slain Mhuruuk, who had apparently raised Sofia herself. _A great loss. I owed her for protecting my child. If only I had known_... He looked at Sofia's face again. She really could have been his female twin- there was nothing of Clea in her appearance at all! Stephen's heart thumped painfully and his eyes stung- an odd thing to happen in astral form, linked only to extreme emotion. He swallowed, then forced himself to think of practicalities.

Wanda was watching him silently, a look of understanding on her face. He realised she'd been waiting for him to acknowledge her again, giving him time to see Sofia, even if he couldn't talk to her at present. Stephen's heart swelled with gratitude, but he didn't otherwise comment on her actions. That would probably be embarrassing for them both, after all- they were friends, but not overly close.

He focused his will, thinking the words he needed in order to open a portal, anchoring it on the Sanctum Santorum, his home. "You may as well travel this way now. It will save any awkward questions about the state of the train compartment."

Wanda glanced around at the charred and melted walls, and nodded. "Good idea. We'll-"

Stephen's astral form had vanished, presumably back to his physical body in the Sanctum.

"OK, Stephen. See you there then. And you're welcome, by the way, for my finding and saving your daughter for you." _And to think I'd been feeling sorry for Stephen, having to deal with this huge revelation of being a father, and I started to think he had genuine feelings, seeing him looking at Sofia, so obviously moved by the sight of his daughter, then he goes and proves he's just as cold and aloof as ever, assuming everyone would just do as he said!_

Wanda stifled a sigh, hefting her holdall and Sofia's backpack over her shoulders, before bending and, straining, managed to heft Sofia so she was leaning on Wanda's shoulder. Maneuvering her limp form was difficult- they were nearly the same height- but it would be quicker to get through the portal first, then focus on waking Sofia and seeing if she needed medical aid later.

Just about balancing the two bags and the unresponsive girl, Wanda stepped through the portal, closing her eyes against the blur of colours as time and space bent around her. When the disorientation stopped, she found herself in the foyer of Stephen's home. Stephen himself (looking as if he'd rushed there from his study) and Wong were waiting for them.

Wong's eyes widened as he saw Sofia for the first time, then he recovered himself, stepping to Wanda's side and taking Sofia's weight, carrying her with ease to a nearby soft armchair.

Wanda let the heavy bags fall to the ground unceremoniously before looking at Stephen again, her expression wry. "Well. That was certainly an eventful journey."

Stephen inclined his head in agreement.

"So now what-"

Sofia groaned softly, eyes fluttering open. Wanda and Stephen both moved to her side at once, as Wong stepped back slightly.

Sofia's eyes opened, and she sat bolt upright, fear etched on her face. Wanda quickly put a hand on her arm to reassure her. "It's OK, Sofia, you're alright, we're safe."

"Huh? What happened to... that... thing?" Sofia shuddered. "I thought..."

"He's gone. You're safe now." Stephen spoke gently, but the unknown voice caught Sofia's attention, and she whipped her head round to face him. She gasped. Stephen visibly swallowed as Wanda tactfully stepped back, giving them some privacy.

Stephen's eyes shone with tears that he refused to let fall as he looked his daughter in the eyes for the first time. "Hello, Sofia."

Sofia was clearly still disoriented, but she managed to smile. "Hi... Dad." Her voice was low as she managed to actually say the word for the first time.

Wong looked away discreetly, to hide the surge of emotion he felt. Wanda felt herself going dewy-eyed as she too turned her face away.

"Sofia." Stephen repeated softly, sounding absolutely awestruck. He inexplicably wanted to give her a hug (he didn't _do_ hugs, what was happening?) but had a feeling it was too soon. Still, his resolve hardened on one thing as he watched this girl who was so like him, his own child, now his responsibility. He knew the threat from Dormammu wasn't over, and he had _no_ idea how he'd fit a teenager into his life and still carry out his duties as Sorcerer Supreme, but having met Sofia, he already knew he'd give his own life without hesitation if it meant keeping her safe.

His daughter was a part of his life now, and he would do _anything_ to ensure she stayed safe and happy. No matter what.

(Deep down, he had a feeling it wouldn't be anywhere near that simple.)

 **To be continued...**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

* * *

 _ **AN: "Normal speech."**_

 _ **'Telepathic speech.'**_

* * *

Sofia perched on the bed in her new room, glancing around thoughtfully. This room was a lot bigger than any she'd had in the past, living in various apartments with her aun- Vesper. _She's not- wasn't my aunt_ , she reminded herself. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she banished the thoughts of Vesper, and looked around again. With its four-poster bed and intricately carved mahogany chest of drawers and wardrobe, the room, decorated in a dusky rose colour, was certainly beautiful, but clearly meant for guests, and the musty smell that absolutely refused to leave the air suggested it hadn't been used for some time. Her dad clearly didn't have people to stay often. He'd said that only he and Wong lived here.

Sofia considered Wong for a minute. He'd only told her that he was a close friend of her dad's who worked with him when she'd asked who he was, but it had made her feel a bit uneasy, knowing she'd be living alone with two men who were virtual strangers to her, even if one of them was her father. She'd been relieved when Wanda had suggested she could stay for a few weeks, and had gotten the impression that Stephe-Dad and Wong had been relieved too. _I guess this is going to be as weird for them as it is for me_.

She took another look at her room. It was clearly meant for a woman, and yet, just as obviously, hadn't been designed for a teenager. _Maybe I can go shopping and get some stuff that I actually like_. Not that she didn't _like_ her room, it just wasn't her style. She'd ask later if she could go get some stuff- she'd need more clothes, if nothing else, after all, and the chance to go shopping in _New York_... Sofia grinned at the thought.

A soft knock on the door made her glance up. "Yeah?"

"Sofia?" Stephen's voice was still... wary, almost. as if he half expected her to not be real.

"Come in." Sofia bit her lip. She'd had a brief chance to talk to him after she'd woken up, but he'd mostly been checking that she hadn't been hurt by that... thing, whatever it was. He'd given her some (absolutely gross) herbal tea that Wong had made. She'd choked it down, amazed at how quickly she felt better, less shaky. After that, he'd cast some weird-sounding spells that Sofia couldn't begin to translate, stating that he was making sure no unseen harm had been done to her (or Wanda) during the attack.

Sofia had asked what that monster was and why it wanted her, but Stephen hadn't told her much, just that she was viewed as a threat. Her query of 'why?' had gone unanswered, as Wong had then suggested that Stephe- _Dad_ , she had told herself, show Sofia around. They (her, Dad and Wanda) had gone on a quick tour of the downstairs, (with her dad shooting amazed and bemused glances at her whenever he thought she wasn't looking) then he had shown her this room. It had been at that point Sofia had asked if anyone else lived here, and that's when she'd been told that Wanda would stay for a while.

Realising that her dad still stood half in the doorway, Sofia snapped her thoughts back to the present. "Is everything OK?"

He smiled. Sofia thought it looked a bit forced. "Yes, everything's fine." He cleared his throat. "How do you like your room?"

"It's really nice." Sofia fidgeted. "But... I was wondering if I'd be able to go get some new things? Most of my stuff got left behind in New Orleans..."

"Of course. I'll give you some spending money and you could make a day of it, in a few days time, once things are more settled." _And once I've ascertained just how skilled you are at defending yourself magically. Vishanti only know I have enough enemies that would easily target my daughter if they knew of her!_

Sofia grinned, though she had hoped to go tomorrow. _I suppose it is a bit much to ask him to drop everything to hang out with me on such short notice._

"As long as Wanda doesn't mind, of course. I don't think she's a huge fan of shopping sprees." Stephen grinned wryly, then frowned when Sofia's face fell slightly. _What did I say?_

"Aren't you going to come with me?" Sofia tried to keep the disappointment from her voice.

Stephen fought the urge to squirm. "Well, I could, but I was under the impression most teenagers don't want their parents 'cramping their style', I think the phrase is?" He raised a brow. _That and I have no idea how to keep a fifteen year old girl amused in the mall for the whole day!_ He _wanted_ to get to know Sofia, of course, but shopping was most definitely not what he'd had in mind. Not to mention certain items that a young woman would need. Just the thought of helping Sofia choose... personal clothing made him want to cringe.

Sofia giggled despite her disappointment- the modern phrase sounded ridiculous coming from him! She shrugged after a minute. "I guess it makes more sense to have a woman take me clothes shopping."

Stephen exhaled, pleased she'd grasped this detail without him having to embarrass them both by spelling out the issue.

Sofia smiled tentatively after a minute. "But we can spend some time together to get to know each other, right?" After all, they had fifteen years to catch up on!

He avoided her eyes- or that was what it looked like. "Of course. Tomorrow, I will make sure I have some time to spend catching up with you."

"Tomorrow?" Sofia glanced out of the window. It was barely noon! "But..."

Stephen looked resigned. "I'm afraid Wong and I have business to conduct this afternoon."

"Can't it wait?" Sofia didn't want him to think she was whining, but they'd only just met, and he would rather do work than spend time with her? All her previous unease, about him not wanting her, rose up again.

"I'm sorry, but no, it can't." Stephen could barely look at Sofia now, he felt so guilty. He _wanted_ to stay, and spend time with her as she plainly wanted, but it was imperative that he and Wong reinforce the spells that kept Dormammu from materialising in New York, especially if Sofia would be roaming the city in a couple of days' time. Sighing heavily, he turned to leave, suspecting that nothing he could say would cheer Sofia up. "Wong and I will be back in a few hours, and we can have a proper talk then, I promise. Wanda will still be here to keep you company. You can look around, but remember: this house is bigger than it looks, and any room or artifacts that are locked away, are locked for a reason. Don't toy with anything." His tone was low, but firm. He threw her one last apologetic look. "I'll see you later. I'm sorry." The last part was barely a whisper, and he wasn't even sure she'd heard, as she was now scowling. He hesitated, eyes stinging oddly, wishing with all his heart he could just stay, and let Wong see to the protective barriers around the city, but _he_ was the Sorcerer Supreme, not Wong. This was his duty. And he was doing for his daughter's protection, even if she didn't know that. He'd talk to Sofia later, and explain more. He hoped she would understand...

Sofia had clenched her teeth, biting her tongue, until Stephen left, then she leapt to her feet. She was seething. _He's only been in my company for a few hours, after I've been ATTACKED, and already his work is more important than me?!_ She felt as if her blood was boiling. She'd daydreamed for YEARS about meeting one or both of her parents, and now that she had, right after losing her only guardian, it seemed her dad wasn't really interested, and was willing to fob her off with lame excuses and leave her with other people, and her mom (Clea, according to Wanda) was still a complete no-show. Why had they even had her, if neither of them really wanted her? Sofia thought about her mother, trying to conjure _some_ sort of memory, a face, a voice, _anything_ , with no success.

A dim light flashed in her vanity mirror and Sofia realised with a shock that she was actually _glowing_ from within. _What the..._ She stared down at her hands in amazement, before surveying her reflection. The blue fire-like light was definitely emanating from inside of her- but what _was_ it? Nothing like this had ever happened to her before... Sofia's heart pounded. Dimly, it dawned on her that this... fire, if that's what it was, wasn't burning her, for some reason.

Soft footsteps echoed on the stairs- Wanda must be coming to check on her! Sofia willed herself to not panic, focused on breathing calmly, and concentrated on an old meditative technique used to disperse unwanted magical energy. To her relief, it seemed to work, as the energy began to fade.

She'd just resumed looking normal when Wanda knocked on the door. "Sofia? Are you alright? I thought I sense- heard something odd."

"I'm fine!" Sofia's heart still pounded, and she knew her voice sounded weird, but she didn't have a clue what that fire might've meant, and wanted to keep this new freakiness hidden for now.

Clearly, she hadn't fooled Wanda, as the older woman came in, looking at her curiously. "Are you sure everything's alright?"

"Y-yeah." Sofia's resolve wavered. _Should_ she tell Wanda about what had just happened? If that weird power had something to do with one of her parents, then maybe now she'd get some real answers. "I just, um... I got kind of worked up, upset, and something... happened..."

Wanda nodded slowly. "Sometimes when a person with magical talent becomes overly emotional, they can accidentally draw on power." She came and sat on Sofia's bed, watching her intently. "What exactly happened?"

Sofia shrugged. "Dunno. I was just trying to remember something, anything, about my mom. I can't usually, but I just hoped..." She looked at her hands. Still normal. "And then, this weird blue fire was glowing around me." She looked at Wanda, eyes narrowed. "And don't tell me that was unnecessary spellcasting energy, because I've had that happen before. It doesn't make me look like someone's put me in a gas burner!"

Wanda sighed. "You're right." She looked down at her clasped hands. "I think I know what happened-"

"Tell me!"

"I'm not sure I'm the best person to do that. Stephen should really explain-"

"Well, he's not here, is he?" Sofia's eyes flashed. _Couldn't wait to get away from me_. "And I think I've gone long enough not knowing anything about who- or what- I am. _Tell me_."

Wanda sighed again, taking in the stubborn set of Sofia's face. _She's so like her father, just won't give up when she's decided she's entitled to know something_. And yet, she couldn't help but think Sofia had a point. It _was_ her right to understand her own heritage. This was truly Stephen's place, explaining this, but as Sofia had pointed out, he'd left. Far too quickly in Wanda's opinion. Did he really not want Sofia here? He'd seemed thrilled when they actually met, but maybe now he'd had time to think it through, he was having doubts. Well, Wanda thought grimly, she'd discuss that with him later. (And why did she feel so protective over this girl? They were virtual strangers... And yet, she'd offered to stay when it became obvious that Stephen and Wong would find it incredibly awkward to have a teenage girl solely relying on them. Wanda still wasn't sure why she'd done that.) For now, she'd have to at least try and answer Sofia's questions. Editing would be the key though. Sofia was nowhere near ready to hear the entire story.

Sofia herself was now sitting on the bed next to her, expression still sullen, but eyes plainly eager for information.

"Alright..." _Stephen will probably kill me for this_. "You remember I told you your mother's name?"

"Clea." Sofia rolled her eyes. _DUH. It was only a few hours ago_.

Wanda nodded, half-smiling at Sofia's expression, guessing what she was probably thinking. "I'm sure you noticed that's not a name you've ever heard."

"It _is_ a bit weird..." Sofia trailed off, not wanting to criticise her mysterious mother too much.

Wanda took a deep breath. "I saw a collection of grimoires in your apartment at New Orleans. I'm guessing you studied some of them?"

"A few, but what's that got to do with-"

"Have you ever read anything about the race called the Faltine?"

Sofia shrugged. "A few things. Vesper wouldn't let me see too much. Extra-dimensional species, formed of pure energy, they don't normally take physical form, and they stay in their own dimension."

"Mostly true," Wanda acknowledged. "But a few millennia ago, two of their race rebelled against those beliefs and left their dimension, settling into a dimension nearer to Earth." She paused, thinking. _No need to go into detail about Dormammu and Umar at this stage- especially not their relation to Sofia, or that Dormammu is the 'monster' that attacked us!_ She looked at Sofia intently. "You've heard of the spell that calls on 'Flames of the Faltine'?"

"Yeah... wait." Sofia sat bolt upright. "Are you saying that _that's_ what I just called on? But how? I didn't cast a spell... and that fire came from inside me... I-I thought I was... human..." She sank back onto the bed, feeling like the breath had been knocked out of her. "How..."

Wanda put a hand over Sofia's to try and comfort her. "One of the rebel Faltine I just mentioned was female. Eventually, in her new home, the Dark Dimension, she bore a daughter." Wanda's stomach twisted. _Am I saying too much?_ Sofia had gone very pale. Still, she'd started this... "That child was Clea. Your mother."

"So I... I'm part Faltine? A quarter? That's why I looked like a glow-worm just then?" Sofia shook her head. "Why hasn't Stephen told me? Why didn't _Vesper_ ever tell me?!" She was getting angry again, and objects around the room began rattling, as if they were dealing with a poltergeist invasion.

Wanda got to her feet, hands outstretched. "Sofia, calm down." She intentionally kept her voice soothing. "I know you're upset-"

" _UPSET?!_ I just found out that everything I thought I knew was a lie!"

The rattling of objects intensified, and several things (the beside table, Sofia's backpack, the mirror, and several small things like a hairbrush and shoes) began rising from the floor, floating. Sofia barely even noticed.

"I grew up with the only adult I trusted letting me think I was just a normal kid with some weird powers. Now, after _fifteen years_ I find out I'm the daughter of some all-powerful sorcerer and a half-demon woman, and nobody thought to tell me this, because it was _easier_ for them to lie!" Sofia wasn't really sure where all this anger was coming from, but too much had happened, too fast, and she just needed to get it out of her system. "It's not _fair_!" Her voice had risen to a shout, and images of the creatures' attack in New Orleans, Vesper's death, the demon attacking her and Wanda on the train, Stephen's apparent rejection of her, leaving her so soon after they met, then being told she was partly some extra-dimensional alien... thing... Everything that had happened lately just became too much and Sofia let out a scream. Blue energy exploded from her, flooding the room and leaving chaos in its wake.

The levitating objects began ricocheting around the room as if flung from a slingshot, orbiting around Sofia like she was the eye of the storm. Wind and rain filled the room, with no apparent source. Sofia was shaking with a mixture of anger, fear and grief, and hardly knew what was going on. She just needed to lash out, stop her inner turmoil.

Wanda stepped closer and placed a careful hand on the girl's shoulder, her heart aching at the heartbreaking look of pain and confusion on Sofia's face.

The bedroom paraphernalia began striking the walls with more force, and blue flames erupted around Sofia again, blazing bright, making Wanda's eyes water, yet not actually burning her hand where she was still clasping Sofia's shoulder. A pulse of raw energy shattered the mirror and cracked the window.

Wanda tugged the girl around to face her, looking her straight in the eyes, and spoke firmly. "Calm. Down. Now." She understood and sympathised with Sofia's feelings, knowing how it felt to find out that your powers had an otherworldly source. (Though she would _not_ be telling Sofia about her nightmarish experiences with the demon Chthon any time soon.) But this magical outburst was far too dangerous. Quite apart from either Wanda herself or Sofia being hurt by this display of power, it could easily draw attention from other powerful beings, not all of which would be benevolent.

Wanda shook Sofia slightly when nothing changed. "Sofia, you need to stop this."

Sofia sucked in a shaky breath, then closed her eyes, brow furrowed. Nothing changed. Sofia's hands shook. "I can't stop it!" Her eyes were wide with fear as the magical storm continued, wind now howling through the room, and odd flashes of lightning appearing sporadically.

"Alright." Wanda kept her voice level. She stared at Sofia, focusing, projecting her words into Sofia's mind. 'Can you hear me?' She knew this mind-to-mind talk was risky for both of them, but she couldn't think of any other (non-violent) way to stop Sofia hurting herself.

'Yes.' Sofia's mental voice was uneasy, but powerful, if untrained.

'Alright. Now, think with me. Your power is a storm-tossed ocean right now.' To help, Wanda sent that very image into Sofia's mind. 'Focus on turning it into a calm and tranquil sea.' She helped by sending soothing energy in Sofia's direction. Eventually the image of the ocean they both saw smoothed off, becoming flat as glass. Once Wanda knew the power had ceased, she withdrew from Sofia's mind. The bedroom looked like a hurricane had gone through it, but Sofia was fine, if tired.

Right on cue, Sofia swayed on her feet, pale-faced with dark circles under her eyes. Wanda guided her back to the bed, sitting beside her. "Feel better now?"

"A bit." Sofia bit her lip as she took in the state of the room. "Dad's going to be mad at me for this."

Wanda shook her head. "No, he won't. No magician at your age has total control, and you have plenty of reasons to be angry right now."

Sofia leaned against Wanda's shoulder, yawning. "Issit normal t'be real tired afterwards?"

Wanda smiled, brushing a strand of hair out of Sofia's eyes. "Yes. It's OK, sleep if you need to. I'll explain to Stephen when he gets back. You won't get in trouble."

Sofia was asleep before Wanda finished talking. She gently eased the girl down to the pillows, before glancing around the wrecked room. _She's going to need serious training. If this is what she can do without intent, at this age... she'll become some sort of force once she's learned more!_

Wanda moved to the soft chair, wanting to keep an eye on Sofia for a while. The thought that the girl had been this angry and hurt, and hadn't felt able to talk, struck a chord with Wanda. No-one that young should have to feel so isolated. But would her life with Stephen be any different? He was _not_ the sort to openly discuss feelings, and Sofia would need a lot of attention and time... quite possibly more than Stephen would be able to give, considering the weight of his other responsibilities.

He'd likely be mad at her for telling Sofia anything about Clea and her Faltine heritage, but Wanda maintained that she'd done the right thing. Sofia was young, but not a baby. She was old enough to understand some matters, if not all. But would Stephen and Wong grasp that? As far as Wanda knew, they'd rarely if ever spent time around teenagers. Was it fair to stay a few weeks then just leave Sofia with them? They'd likely try to 'protect' Sofia until she felt smothered and hated them.

No, Wanda resolved. That couldn't happen. She might have only planned on a brief stay, but it was totally unfair to all three residents of this house to just leave them to get on with it. She would stay until Sofia (and Stephen and Wong, she added quickly) understood each other enough to live together comfortably. And that would take quite some time.

 **To be continued...**

* * *

 _ **All species, places and characters mentioned in this chapter are Marvel Comics canon. Further information about the Faltine, Dormammu, Umar, Clea, the Dark Dimension or Chthon can be found on the Marvel Database wiki.**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

* * *

Stephen forced himself to stand straight as he and Wong stepped from the portal. They'd spent all afternoon disappearing and re-appearing at various locations in New York to reinforce the city's protective wards. This abandoned subway station was the last- Stephen tended to set wards in places _not_ frequented by large numbers of people, to avoid accidental damage being done. Reinforced wards wouldn't keep Dormammu away forever, but hopefully it would buy them time to think of a more permanent solution. _Or at least, it had better_ , Stephen thought grimly. Using this amount of magic was taking its toll, and he was exhausted. It was worth it to keep Sofia from harm of course, but now, after all this, if it turned out Dormammu was already _within_ New York's boundaries and hidden-

Bright flames engulfed Stephen's vision. _And WHY did I even let that thought form in my head? You would think, after all these years, I would know better than to tempt fate.._. Fighting a grimace, he drew on his depleted magical energy reserves as Wong moved to stand beside him. Stephen was in no shape for a prolonged fight, so he would have to attempt to _talk_ to Dormammu, and resort to sheer bravado if it came to it.

Tense, he waited for Dormammu's typically fiery intimidation attempt to end, affecting a bored expression. "All these years we've fought and you still begin with the same tactics? You're becoming predictable, Dormammu." He kept his tone as complacent as possible, hiding his weariness, waiting for the Dread One's response.

The fires cascaded over Stephen's and Wong's forms before abruptly fading out, leaving the figure of Dormammu towering over them.

The entity was actually _laughing_. " **It was good of you to ensure I cannot return to my Dark Dimension, Strange. No doubt this will give my willful niece ample time to place herself upon MY throne once again."** He grinned maliciously. " **However, you only make it more necessary for me to take the girl-child. No doubt Clea will forgo all claims to the throne once I have her daughter in my grasp."**

"That is _never_ going to happen." Stephen put steel in his voice.

Dormammu chuckled. " **Is that so? I assure you, just because I was thwarted once by the mortal witch does not mean I will be denied again."** His mocking expression faded a little. " **If I am to be honest, this matter has little to do with you, Strange. It** _ **does**_ **cause me some satisfaction to think of your offspring in my power, but I only truly want the girl as a means of halting Clea's rebellion once and for all. And I** _ **will**_ **have the girl."**

Stephen clenched his fists. "Not while I am alive!" He began a spell. "Crimson Bands of Cytorrak!" The scarlet tendrils sprung into existence at his command, surrounding Dormammu and entrapping him- for now. It was an enormous drain on Stephen's dwindling power, but he would _never_ let Sofia be taken and used as a hostage by this _monster_.

Dormammu's laugh boomed through the enclosed space of the subway station. " **Pitiful, even by your standards!"** He flung his arms out and the Crimson Bands shattered. The shattering of the spell almost made Stephen collapse- he would have were it not for Wong's steadying hand.

Dormammu strode closing, looming over Stephen. " **I did intend to leave you in peace for a time once I had the girl-child, Strange. But now you have irritated me once again. Perhaps I will have you watch as I take your daughter away, knowing that there was nothing you could do to prevent it. That would be most amusing."**

"No!" Envigorated by mingled anger and fear, Stephen shot a blast of pure energy at Dormammu. The Faltine sorcerer cried out in pain as the sizzling beam made contact, and he retailiated, lashing out with a bolt of similar energy. Stephen went flying backwards, landing painfully on the cold tile floor. Wong immediately retreated to his friend's side, keeping his gaze on the enemy, who advanced slowly, his face now angry.

None of the sorcerers noticed the Eye of Agamotto- the amulet that allowed Stephen to commune with his patrons, Agamotto, Oshtur and Hoggoth, the triumvirate of the Vishanti- opening of its own accord.

" **For that, I may simply kill you."** Dormammu increased his size, to a degree that he could simply crush Stephen and Wong with one hand.

Stephen's gaze was blurry, and every part of him ached, but still he struggled to rise. He could not let Dormammu win! He tried to cast another protective spell, but had no energy left. Wong chanted under his breath, attempting to shield them both, but Stephen knew he'd fail. Dormammu was too powerful for Wong.

Another energy bolt formed in the palm of Dormammu's hand, and Stephen's heart all but stopped beating.

There was _nothing_ he could do. This blast would obliterate him and Wong. Then Dormammu would go after Sofia, use her to control Clea, retake the Dark Dimension, then like as not try again to conquer Earth.

All this crossed Stephen's mind in a second of crushing despair and his eyes closed. _I have failed_. He blacked out before the energy surged towards him.

Wong dropped to his knees at his friend's side, bracing himself to perish at Stephen's side. He tore his gaze from Stephen's unconscious form when he heard Dormammu bellow in shock.

A massive tiger, formed of shimmering blue energy, stood facing Dormammu, snarling. Dormammu himself was bound in tendrils of white light.

"Agamotto?" Wong's voice was barely audible. Had the All-Seeing one truly come to their aid unsummoned? Stephen had told him of occasions when such a thing had happened in the past, but why now?

The tiger turned its head, and actually seemed to _wink_ at Wong, before turning back to Dormammu and roaring loud enough to wake the dead. Dormammu's struggling form vanished almost immediately. The tiger calmly walked over to Stephen, prodding him with a paw, nodding in satisfaction when Stephen groaned, his eyes fluttering.

Wong exhaled in relief that Stephen seemed to be alright, before turning and bowing to Agamotto. "Thank you, great one."

Agamotto shrugged. "Thought I might as well step in. Can't have my sorcerer supreme dying so many years before his replacement is fully trained and ready, can I?"

Wong shook his head, as much in bafflement at the entity's irreverent speech as to the meaning of Agamotto's words. "Replacement?"

"The girl. Sophie, or something. It'll be years before she's ready to take on the role! Unless another candidate is found, of course..." Agamotto's eyes went vague, before abruptly re-focusing on Wong. "Nope, she's the best option right now. So it's best she has someone good around to teach her."

Realising that Agamotto meant Sofia, Wong decided it was best _not_ to correct him on her name. "But... may I ask, what of Dormammu?" _Just because he's gone now does not mean he will stop attempting to take Sofia hostage_.

Agamotto snorted. "'May you ask'? Looks to me like you just did! Anyway, if you _must_ know, he's back in the Dark Dimension, trapped in a tiny pocket of it. He'll get out eventually, of course, but he won't be back on Earth for a while. And he'll end up trapped again if he does escape and tries to go after the child." He burst into laughter. "So now all Doc has to worry about is any _other_ magical disasters that may pop up, and the terrifying prospect of parenting! Watching _that_ is certainly going to be entertaining! Tell him I wish him the best of luck!" And with that, the tiger disappeared.

Wong blinked several times at the 'mighty' Agamotto's... eccentric behaviour, which he'd heard of but never actually seen himself, before today.

Footsteps on the stairs made Wong look up. _Wait... footsteps... stairs?!_ They had been in a subway station a few minutes ago... Yet now somehow they were home.

He slowly took stock of their surroundings as Wanda, looking worn out, came into the foyer of the Sanctum. She gasped when she saw Stephen unconscious, though he was slowly coming round.

"Agamotto must have sent us back here," Wong mused. _Though some warning might have been nice!_

Stephen sat up with a groan. "What happened?" His voice was groggy, but he didn't appear hurt.

Wanda walked over, expression worried. "That's what I'd like to know." _Telling them what happened with Sofia's powers earlier can wait,_ she decided. _They both look like they've been in a warzone!_

Wong sighed as he tried to explain Agamotto's intervention without making one of the immortal Vishanti sound utterly ridiculous.

It wasn't easy.

* * *

Later, having showered and drunk several cups of coffee, Stephen felt far less weak, and was sitting listening to Wanda explain what Sofia had done earlier. The description of so much power in a fifteen-year-old made Stephen slightly uneasy. He steepled his hands. "I will _definitely_ have to start training her. The sooner the better. Dormammu may be gone for now, but there are other threats out there."

Wanda nodded. "And I was thinking, if it's alright with you... I might stay and help out." She exhaled heavily. "I know I can't pretend to be anywhere near as powerful a sorcerer as you, but I _do_ know a thing or two about having power come from within, that you've been born with, rather than power you've gained from study."

Stephen nodded, acknowledging the truth of her words. "To be honest, I'd planned on asking you for help with that anyway. As you said, I can teach Sofia from books, but I know very little about harnessing inborn power. And..." This was harder for him to say, "She is probably more familiar with you than me, and I don't..." _Have a clue how to bond with her_.

Wanda was nodding, no doubt guessing what he was thinking. "Maybe, for now. But you _can_ change that. You just have to talk to her, and find time to actually listen."

"I know, but... how?!"

Wanda's lip curled, but her eyes were sympathetic. "Well, if nothing else, she will want to know more about Clea, and your relationship with her. _Before_ it went sour. She needs to learn more about her parents, Stephen. In an _unbiased_ way."

Stephen nodded slowly, well aware that he might be inclined to demonise Clea, and that he must _not_ do so in Sofia's hearing. He managed a wry smile. "When did you get so wise?"

Wanda smiled sadly. "It's not wisdom. I've _been_ the girl with unexplained power, with no clue about her identity. All someone in that position needs is support and answers."

Stephen, knowing Wanda referred to the times when she'd had to fight off possession, and the lack of information she now had on her origins, since it came out Magneto wasn't her true father, placed a hand atop hers. Neither moved, holding each others' eyes for a second. Stephen felt the oddest urge to reassure her.

"Wanda? Dad?" Sofia walked into the sitting room, stifling a yawn, breaking the moment. The adults shifted apart quickly.

Stephen looked at his daughter. "Are you alright, Sofia?"

"Yeah... still a bit tired, but I'm OK." She shifted from foot to foot. "Sorry about trashing my room."

"It's fine. Accidents happen." Stephen tried for a reassuring smile.

Wanda stood. "I'm going to go see if Wong needs any help with dinner."

As Sofia sat in her vacated place, Wanda looked at Stephen. "Talk to her," she mouthed over Sofia's head.

Stephen gulped. Swallowing hard, he met Sofia's gaze. "Wanda told me why you got angry earlier..." Why was this so damned awkward? "If... if there's anything you want to talk about, you know you can ask..."

Sofia bit her lip. "What can you tell me about my mom?"

"Well... what do you want to know?"

"Where did you first meet? What sort of a person is she?"

Stephen managed a nostalgic smile as he thought back to the early days of his relationship with Clea. He began speaking (editing out any negative feelings he had towards Clea for the time being). Sofia was soon hanging on his every word, smiling. Lost in happier memories, father and daughter talked for hours.

* * *

Clea stood frozen in shock and horror as she recognised the shade that stood before her. _Vesper_. Her daughter's guardian. But if she was now a shade, a ghost... what had happened? Where was Sofia?! Hands trembling, her white curly hair shifted as she shook her head. This could not be happening! She had been informed by those Mhuruuks loyal to her in this Dark Dimension that Dormammu was back here and trapped somehow, but just bcause he was here, it did not mean Sofia was safe! And with Vesper dead, (in an accident, please let it have been an accident,) her child could be _anywhere_ by now, in who-knew-what sort of danger, the very thing she had sent Sofia to Earth to prevent!

Straightening up, she took a deep breath. Dormammu was secured, so it could do very little harm if she left this realm for a brief while. She would simply have to go to Earth and retrieve Sofia herself, and bring her back into her care. She knew Sofia might be resistant at first, not knowing Clea from a stranger (which actually made her heart ache) but in the end, Sofia would come home to her birthplace. After all- where else could she go?

Clea took no notice of the inner voice that kept reminding her of Stephen- he had had no time to be a faithful husband, so he surely wouldn't have any interest in being a father. Besides, as far as she was concerned, Sofia was _her_ daughter, not Stephen's. He didn't even know about Sofia! And odds were she wouldn't even have to see him. (She hoped.)

Gathering a few possessions, Clea set out for the portal that led to Earth. It was time to bring her child back home.

 _ **To be continued...**_

* * *

 **AN: Sorry if Agamotto's behaviour and dialogue in this chapter seems odd. I am basing it on how he was depicted in the 1970s Doctor Strange comic series by Steve Engleheart, but the** _ **appearance**_ **I am using for Agamotto comes from the 2010 New Avengers comic run, issue 5. (Because even I can't take him seriously if he looks like a caterpillar as he did in the 1970s series.)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

* * *

Wanda smiled indulgently as Sofia carted her load of shopping bags into yet _another_ store. At least this was a bookstore, and not another boutique, she mused, as she lugged her own bags, following Sofia. And it wasn't as if Stephen couldn't afford it, anyway. She found Sofia browsing the store's occult section, and smirked. Best she go and help Sofia, or odds were she'd end up wasting her money buying a 'grimoire' that was complete fiction!

It had been several days since Agamotto had apparently dealt with Dormammu, and while none of the adults were fool enough to think this threat was over for good, they had relaxed somewhat. Enough to let Sofia go on a spending spree, at least. Wanda grinned to herself at the looks of horror on Stephen and Wong's faces when she'd suggested they take Sofia shopping themselves. She hadn't been able to keep the joke going, though, as she'd burst out laughing at their expressions. While shopping together apparently wasn't an option, Stephen and Sofia had taken to spending some time together each afternoon, either beginning Sofia's training in magic, or just talking, getting to know each other. Wanda (and Wong) tended to make themselves scarce during those times, but they had both noticed the beginnings of a bond between father and daughter. Sofia almost always called Stephen 'Dad' now. The thought made Wanda smile.

A sudden movement- a flash of white- at the corner of her eye made her tense. It _could_ just be another customer, but this secondhand store had seemed nearly deserted. Quickly glancing at Sofia, who was engrossed in a book, she stepped away slightly, keeping her eyes on the corner where she'd seen the blur. Stepping into the next aisle, she frowned. Nothing. She strode to one end of the rows of shelving, then another. Still no sign of anyone. Had the white flicker been a trick of the light? Shrugging, but remaining wary, she turned back towards Sofia- and froze in disbelief.

Clea stood not two feet away from Sofia. Wanda folded her arms. She was stunned at the woman's sudden appearance, but Stephen had had time with Sofia. It was only fair that Clea did as well. She stayed where she was, watching, in case she needed to step in.

* * *

Using a spell to hide from sight, Clea had been watching her daughter from a distance for some time, as Sofia happily went in and out of shops, accompanied by _Wanda Maximoff_ of all people. The longer she watched Sofia, the more uneasy she felt. Just how many years had passed here on Earth since she'd sent Vesper here with her baby? She didn't think it had been _that_ long, ten human years at the very most, and yet the girl standing before her was well into adolescence, and as tall as if not taller than Clea herself.

Sofia was also the image of Stephen Strange, the thought of which made Clea's breath catch. And the fact that Wanda Maximoff, a frequent associate of Stephen's, was with her... Clea's heart thudded. Stephen couldn't _know_ , could he? Well, if he did, then the sooner she took Sofia home, the better. She had no intention of having this argument (and she had no doubt there would be one) on Stephen's world. She followed them silently into the book store.

Allowing herself to come into view for a split second, she made sure to get Maximoff's attention, exhaling in relief when the mortal sorceress moved away from Sofia. Once she and her daughter were alone, Clea stepped forward, letting her invisiblilty glamour fall.

"Sofia."

The girl whirled to face her, startled, and Clea's heart lurched as she got a good look at Sofia for the first time. She remembered a tiny blanket wrapped baby with dark tufty hair, that had stared up at her with huge unblinking blue eyes, small enough to be held in one arm. The girl before her now was almost exactly her height, with shoulder length black hair and a white streak (like her father) and had sharp green eyes, narrowed suspiciously. Tears started in Clea's eyes as she realised just how much she'd missed of her child's life. _Well, no more_. She was resolute. She would not be separated from her daughter again.

Choking back tears, she reached a hand to caress Sofia's face, blinking in confusion when Sofia stepped back. Clea visibly winced.

"Sofia, I only want to talk to you." She could understand unease, but surely Sofia understood who she was? She'd recognised her child in an instant. Surely she knew her own mother!

Sofia only took another step back, glancing around. Realising that she was looking for Wanda Maximoff, Clea stepped nearer. "Don't you know me?" The thought that Sofia _didn't_ know her own mother instinctively made her feel sick with fear. How could that be?

Sofia continued edging away from the white-haired woman in the weird purple outfit, her heart pounding. _Just my luck to run into a nut job!_ She looked around, but couldn't see Wanda. To buy herself some time to think, she stared into the woman's bright blue eyes. "W-who are you?"

The woman winced again when she said that, and a single tear rolled onto her face. Small details began to register in Sofia's mind. One, this woman had known her name. Two, they were roughly the same height and build. Three: she'd seemed to expect Sofia to know her. Her heart rate picked up. Could this be... "Are you my m- Clea?" She couldn't say 'mom' just yet, it just felt weird.

Clea nodded slowly, pressing a hand to her mouth. She reached out to Sofia again, then stopped herself, keeping her distance. "You're so grown up now." Another tear fell.

Abruptly, Sofia's shock was replaced by anger. How dare Clea just act as if her not being here for _all of Sofia's life_ didn't matter?! "Yeah well, that's what usually happens when you _abandon_ someone for fifteen years!"

Clea actually took a step back, looking as if she had no idea how long it had really been. "You must understand I only did that to protect you-"

"Really?! Fine job you made of that! I didn't see you rushing to help when Vesper was killed by that Dormammu thing! Or when it kept hunting me afterwards!"

The blood drained from Clea's face at her words, but Sofia barely noticed. "I spent _fifteen years_ growing up wondering who my parents were, wondering why I'd been given up, and then I find out that I had a father all along, and he never found me because _you never even told him that I existed!_ "

Clea was reeling from what she'd just heard. _Dormammu had been after Sofia?!_ Slowly, the rest of her daughter's words registered. She'd mentioned Stephen. Someone had told Sofia about her father. The thought chilled Clea, but first things first. "Dormammu. He didn't hurt you?" Her eyes were wide, checking Sofia for injury.

"No. Dad and Wanda kept me safe." Sofia felt a certain vindictive pleasure in saying that, watching Clea recoil. _That's right, they kept me safe when you couldn't be bothered!_

Clea was seething inwardly, but she kept her face calm, but firm. "So you've met your father."

"Yeah. No thanks to you!"

While Clea was amazed that Stephen hadn't contacted her in a rage yet, now that he knew about Sofia, she had no intention of letting Sofia know that. Her lips tightened. "This isn't the place to have this discussion, Sofia." She put her hand on her daughter's arm. "Come home with me and we can discuss this properly."

To her relief, Sofia nodded. At least she seemed less angry now. And once they were safely back in Clea's own dimension, they could talk this out properly. She was glad Sofia was being so mature about this.

"I don't think Dad's going to be very happy with you though." Sofia's face was still sullen.

Clea blinked. "He likely isn't, but I won't be seeing him, so it doesn't matter."

Sofia tensed, stepping back. "What? I thought you said we were going home."

"We are. To our home. Our dimension." Clea reached for Sofia's arm. "Please, just do as I ask. I _will_ explain everything once we're there."

Sofia went cold at the idea. _Leave Earth? Go to some dimension I've hardly even read about? Without even talking to Dad? I can't!_ She nearly collapsed with relief when Wanda stepped forward, moving between her and Clea.

"I think I've heard enough." Wanda's eyes were on Clea, her expression angry.

Clea's eyes narrowed. "I am having a discussion with my daughter. This is nothing to do with you."

"No, you're right, it isn't. But Stephen left me in charge of Sofia while we're out, and I gave my word I'd bring her home later today." Wanda's eyes flashed. "And before you say anything, by 'home' I mean the Sanctum. Where her _father_ lives."

Clea gritted her teeth. "Sofia's home is in the dimension where she was born. She belongs with me."

Wanda raised a brow. "So we've only just managed to fend Dormammu away from her- for now- and you want to take her to the very realm he's been banished to? Brilliant idea, that." She took another step forward, so that she now stood between Sofia and Clea. "And as for her 'belonging' with you, that might be true- if you weren't a stranger to her. You may be her mother, but as it stands, as far as I'm concerned, if you want to have any access to Sofia, you'll have to talk about it with Stephen first." Her glare at Clea intensified. "I have no idea why you never told him about his daughter, but from now on, any decisions concerning her _will_ involve him as well."

Clea squared her shoulders. "So instead of letting me, Sofia's _mother_ , make a decision, you're taking charge of a girl who has nothing to do with you as if she can't choose for herself?"

Wanda thought fast, then turned her gaze to Sofia. "I didn't mean to talk about you like you're not here. Did you want to stay and keep talking to your mother, or shall we go home?" She kept her face neutral, not wanting to be accused of influencing Sofia's answer.

Sofia gave Clea a long, conflicted look. She _was_ still mad, but on the other hand, she'd given her dad a chance... didn't her mom deserve the same thing? "I do want to spend some time talking to you, but I can't just leave." She bit her lip. "I think you and Dad need to talk." She stepped towards Wanda, ready to go, but unable to resist one last look at Clea. Her mother. Who sparked absolutely no memories, no recognition, nothing at all in her. Was that normal? Shouldn't she feel _something_ towards this woman?

Wanda put a hand on Sofia's shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly, guessing how much of a shock all this must be to her, meeting her mother with no warning, and having said mother willing to all but kidnap her, after everything _else_ that had gone on recently. She looked back at Clea as she led Sofia away, marvelling at the woman's nerve. _How dare she just assume she can simply take Sofia now, after all these years, as if Stephen still has absolutely no say in this matter?!_ But then, Wanda reflected grimly, Clea had made the choice of excluding Stephen since the day Sofia was born, and if it hadn't been for her finding Sofia, odds are Stephen would never have found out about his daughter at all! Still, she had to put aside her feelings about the poor choices that Clea had made. Sofia was the important one here. She met Clea's eyes. "We'll be at the Sanctum if you want to continue this discussion." _And this time, you will NOT cut Stephen out of his daughter's life_. She slipped an arm around Sofia's shoulders as they left, feeling the girl trembling slightly and wanting to calm her down. With her free hand, she whipped out her cell and quickly texted Stephen, praying he'd see and read the message quickly, so he wouldn't be caught off guard by this new turn of events. She kept the text message short and to the point. 'Clea turned up. Wants to take Sofia to Dark Dimension apparently. Bringing Sofia home now.'

Clea's blood boiled as Wanda led Sofia away. All these years, she'd longed for her daughter, and now she was finally in a position to take her home, she was being prevented from doing so! She silently cursed Stephen Strange for poisoning her own daughter against her. _I know he was bitter about the divorce, and no doubt he's angry because I never told him of Sofia, but to go this far, making Sofia fear her true home, and who knows what else he's filled her head with about me!_ Her fists clenched. If he wanted to fight over Sofia, so be it! She set off for Greenwich Village, where the Sanctum Sanctorum was located. No doubt there would be an ugly scene when she met Stephen again, but Clea was determined to come out the winner. She _would_ have her daughter back!

 _ **To be continued.**_

* * *

 **AN: Mother and daughter have met at last! Next chapter will have the confrontation between Stephen and Clea...**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

* * *

Wanda had gotten Sofia into a cab to take them back to Greenwich Village as fast as possible- they'd used the Subway to get into the city, but she didn't want to risk Clea getting to the Sanctum before they did. Though, she reflected wryly, if the other sorceress teleported, she could already be there. Stephen hadn't replied to her text, so who knew?

Wanda glanced at Sofia, who'd hardly spoken since she'd led her away from Clea. No doubt the girl was in shock, but this time, Wanda had absolutely no idea what to say to help. It had never even crossed her mind that Clea would just turn up like that, and to expect to just take Sofia away, with no input from Stephen... it beggared belief.

A chilling thought struck Wanda. If Clea had managed to get to the Sanctum before them, then even now there could be an ugly scene playing out between her and Stephen. Sofia didn't need to be exposed to that! Pulling out her cell, she tried to call Stephen, hoping to get the lay of the land before they got home. He didn't reply. Wanda ground her teeth in frustration. _Now what?_

The journey passed way too quickly, with no-one speaking, and even as they clambered out of the cab, and Wanda paid the driver, a woman's voice yelling could be heard from inside the disguised Sanctum Sanctorum.

Wanda watched the cab leave, trying to gather her thoughts, before noticing how pale Sofia's face was. She put an arm round her shoulder. "Whatever this is, it's not because of you." She'd only been guessing at Sofia's thoughts, but the girl's blink told her she'd been right. Wanda thought fast. Sofia didn't need to get caught up in a fight between Stephen and Clea- but where else could she take her?

Footsteps approached and she turned to see Wong walking towards them, a stressed look on his usually calm face. He pointedly _didn't_ say anything about what was going on indoors, but addressed Wanda and Sofia calmly. "It's best Stephen isn't disturbed right now. Perhaps you two would like to take a walk somewhere? I'll take your bags inside, then call you when it's saf- er, convenient to come back."

Wanda nodded. She and Wong both knew Sofia wouldn't be fooled by his excuse, but Wanda didn't give her a chance to protest, linking arms with her and leading her back down the path. "Come on. You need to let your parents have some time to catch up."

Sofia snorted. "Catch up? They sound like they're going to kill each other!"

"Adults argue, Sofia," _Those two far more than most_. "But even so, they'll be alright. We'll come back in a while and talk to them. Don't let this worry you."

"But maybe it would help if I went and-"

" _No_." Wanda frowned. "I think you're old enough to realise you're _part_ of the reason they're fighting, but it is _not_ your fault and you don't need to get in the middle of it." Her face softened slightly at Sofia's worried expression. "Look, neither of them will really hurt each other."

"You sure?" Sofia was gnawing her lip worriedly.

"Yes. Words never hurt anyone, did they?" Wanda smiled reassuringly. "Come on. I'll show you around here a bit. There's a really beautiful garden out back here- well, kind of. It's actually through a dimensional gateway that leads to the back yard, but it's gorgeous..."

She glanced back once as she led Sofia away from the sound of her quarreling parents. _I hope it's not going too badly in there.._.

* * *

Stephen winced as the white-hot energy blast he'd barely managed to repel seared its way into the wooden flooring. _That mark will be there forever_. "Clea, that was not necessary!" He was livid with her, for obvious reasons, but she'd come in shouting, and he was _trying_ to be the voice of reason.

His ex-wife was making that very difficult. Her face was a picture of rage, and her glare could have melted steel.

Stephen held his hands up. "Can we _please_ discuss this calmly?" Not that he had much hope of that. Clea had teleported in without warning, just as Stephen's phone had vibrated with a text he hadn't had a chance to read, and as he'd been getting over his shock at seeing Clea, she'd started their reunion by shouting that he'd had no right to go anywhere near Sofia.

Obviously that had angered him, (how could he have no right to see his own daughter?!) but he was trying to keep his head. Wong had excused himself from the room as soon as their voices were raised, and Stephen's previous attempt to reason with Clea- pointing out that she herself didn't really know Sofia- had led to the energy bolt being flung.

Clea raised her flame-wreathed hands, no doubt intending to attack again. Stephen quickly muttered an incantation that would temporarily prevent her using magic. She scowled at him when the flames died, then huffed angrily, folding her arms.

Stephen exhaled. "Are you willing to have a civilised conversation now?"

Clea glowered at him but nodded sullenly.

"Right. Now, I don't know where to start this really." He ran his hands through his hair, thinking about recent events, and his anger about being deceived for so long began rising to the surface. Trying to keep his voice calm, he held Clea's gaze. "First off, why, in _fifteen years_ , did you never tell me about our daughter?!"

Clea's lips tightened. "Would you have wanted to know?"

"' _Would I have wanted to_ '- What in blazes is _that_ meant to mean?!" He skewered her with his gaze.

"It means would you have actually even cared! We _both_ know you have a problem with commitment, the number of times you put other matters before me during our marriage-"

Stephen couldn't believe it. "Oh, don't you start that again. You _knew_ from the start that I had responsibilities that would mean I was often away, it was _you_ who decided I was abandoning you-"

"Because you were! And that's without mentioning all the other women you occupied yourself with-"

"Because _you_ left _me_! We were separated, it's not as if-"

"We were still married!" Clea's voice was rising.

"Oh, so I was supposed to just wait indefinitely, until you decided to pay me any attention?!"

"Why not?" Clea nearly screamed. "I had to! For years!"

Stephen ground his hands over his eyes. This wasn't getting them anywhere. He made an effort to speak more quietly, his words coming out icily now. "Whatever grievances you and I had are not the issue here. You had _no right_ to hide Sofia's existence from me."

Clea spoke through gritted teeth. "I am her mother, I was responsible for her, I had every right to take care of her as I saw fit."

"By sending her away and ignoring her for years?" Sephen retorted. "By leaving her vulnerable to Dormammu and any other enemy you and I might have?"

Clea's eyes narrowed to slits. " _I_ have almost no enemies besides Dormammu. The fact that _you_ do is only further reason for me to keep Sofia out of your life."

A vein throbbed in Stephen's temple. "Meaning what exactly?"

She held his gaze. "Name one person you're related to, or that you've befriended or become fond of, that hasn't suffered in some way or another at the hands of those who wish you harm."

Stephen counted very slowly to ten (in several languages) before replying. "That has _nothing_ to do with the issue at hand." His voice was tightly controlled, though his blood was boiling. How _dare_ she use that against him?! Donna... Victor... just thinking the names of his deceased siblings made his heart ache. And the others... numerous friends and associates who'd been injured or otherwise suffered when he could have prevented it... The Ancient One... Wong... Rintrah... his friends on the Avengers... Jericho Drumm...

"Doesn't it, though?" Clea's voice broke into his thoughts, and he was grateful for the distraction- until she spoke again. "If I'd given Sofia to you from the beginning, how long would it have taken for her to be hurt, or even end up d-" She cut herself off, unable to even say the word 'dead' in relation to Sofia.

"I wasn't going to argue that it might not have been safe for her to spend her infancy with me. But you should still have _told_ me! We could have worked out a way to protect her together!"

Clea's eyes glittered- with anger? Tears? Stephen couldn't tell. "So basically, you're saying that even though it wasn't safe for me to be in contact with my baby daughter, even though it _tore me apart_ to have to hide her, you think I should have told _you_ where she was, so you could be with her when I wasn't able to?"

Stephen whirled and slammed his hand into the wall in anger. "Why are you deliberately twisting my words?! I would _never_ have cut you off from Sofia, you did that to _yourself_!"

Clea squared her shoulders, face going blank. "Perhaps I did. But I see now it was wrong."

"About time." Stephen suppressed a snort.

"Which is why I'll be taking her home with me. Then she won't be under your feet any more. Which is no doubt what you've been thinking since you took her in. We'll be gone by tomorrow."

Stephen wasn't positive what happened next, he just knew his vision went red with anger as fear at having his daughter taken away so soon churned in his stomach. The next thing he knew, he had Clea in a tight grasp, and he'd never felt angrier in his life. "You are _not_ just going to take Sofia away again. I've only just met her!"

"So have I!"

"That's your own fault!" Sofia's voice made both adults jump, and Stephen immediately moved away from Clea. They both stepped towards their daughter, who stepped back.

Sofia stood in the doorway, Wanda and Wong just behind her, both looking as if they'd been trying to lead her away from this scene.

Stephen took in Sofia's tear-stained face and flinched. How much of that had she heard? What would she think of him- of them both- now after that display of anger?

Clea made to go and embrace Sofia, but the girl held her (trembling) hands up as if to ward her off. She was blinking back tears as she spoke, addressing them both.

"OK, I really don't know what issues you two have, and I guess it's none of my business. But I just want to say two things. I am _not_ going to leave Earth and go live in some other dimension I know nothing about, but I do really want a chance to get to know both of you better." Her voice shook, but she shrugged. "So... I really hope you figure this out."

Clea tried to take another step closer, arms raised as if to hug her, but Sofia backed away. "Just give me a while." She stifled a sob as she ran past Wong and Wanda and headed up to her room. A huge part of her 'parents' fantasy had involved them either being together or getting back together. But judging by what she'd heard as she'd slipped past Wanda in the garden and come back into the house, that was _never_ going to happen. And she couldn't shake the feeling that this fight wouldn't have happened if she hadn't come into Stephen's life... She stumbled into her room in tears, letting the door slam behind her and locking it.

Stephen, Clea, Wanda and Wong all stared at each other, none really knowing what to say. _Now what?_ Was essentially their collective thought.

Clea was still angry, and partly blaming Stephen for turning Sofia against her, poisoning her daughter's mind against her own natural home. 'Dimension she knew nothing about' indeed! It was her birthplace! And yet Sofia seemed so determined to stay on Earth, but wanted Clea to stay as well... could that happen? It _could_ , but not for too long. Clea's people needed her, back in the Dark Dimension...

Stephen was kicking himself for not realising that Sofia might accidentally overhear the fight and wondering desperately if there was any way to make this up to her- he never wanted to upset her that way! He wanted to go and reassure her, but she'd asked to be left alone... maybe that was best.

Wanda was mad at herself for not simply taking Sofia back into the city when she'd realised Clea and Stephen were fighting indoors, and also for not stopping the girl going indoors and hearing that argument. She quietly excused herself to go sit on the landing. If she could do nothing else right, she could listen out for Sofia, and be there if she called. She cast a wary glance at Stephen and Clea, but they both seemed calmer now, and Stephen looked ashamed, even though this wasn't really his fault- Clea always seemed to incite the arguments, as far as she could see. She sat down just outside Sofia's room, mediating and listening, hoping Sofia wasn't crying in there, but not wanting to just barge in when Sofia had asked to be left alone.

Wong was shaking his head at the irresponsibility of Stephen and Clea both, arguing like that when they had no idea whether or not their child was in the vicinity. Not that he'd ever dream of saying any of this. Prying into Stephen's family affairs wasn't his place. He just hoped there was a way to work this out peacefully. But how that could ever happen, he had no idea. He headed off to start tonight's dinner, hoping that the fighting was over with- for now at least.

Stephen and Clea were left staring at one another, both too stubborn to admit to any personal faults. They were at a stalemate. _Was_ there any way to settle this? None that either of them could see right now...

 **To be continued...**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

* * *

Sofia sighed to herself as she flopped down on her bed. _Still haven't heard from her_...

It had been just over two months since she'd issued her ultimatum to her parents, and for a week or so, it had seemed to work- they had each spent time with her, separately, although they never, as far as she could tell, spent time together alone. Nor had they ever seemed to really resolve the problems between them. Whenever all three of them had ended up in a room together, the atmosphere grew thick enough to skate on, but the air was never cleared. Sofia had actually been relieved when they started spending one-on-one time with her. It was just easier to relax without both of them there...

Or it had been until, abruptly, six weeks ago, with no real warning, Clea had appeared distracted, then announced that there was trouble 'at home', and she had to go. Omitting to mention what the trouble was, she'd hastily promised Sofia that she'd speak with her astrally twice a week, had stared awkwardly at Stephen for a few minutes (he'd pretty much done the same thing, as if he didn't know what to say), then disappeared in a flash. Sofia had only managed to talk to her once since then, and Clea had looked worn out and stressed. She couldn't help but worry. What was going on in this 'Dark Dimension' that was so bad? She'd overheard the name 'Umar' once, but had no idea who or what that was.

She'd asked her dad and Wong, and Wanda, all at different times, and all she'd been told was that Clea could look after herself, things would be alright and she shouldn't worry. Highly helpful- not. Sofia snorted as she thought about it. Maybe she _should_ have offered to go with Clea and help... But then, when she'd suggested that to Wanda a couple of days ago, she'd immediately gotten a very firm 'No'.

And that was another thing. Sofia frowned. For a few days after Clea had left, Dad and Wanda had seemed to be getting on well, spending more time talking... they'd even shared a few of her magic lessons, working together to teach her. That had been fun. Then, for some reason, just after the Fourth of July celebration -Sofia had insisted on them having a party and (magical) fireworks- but in the two weeks that had followed, they'd just drifted apart, or that's what it looked like to Sofia. Now it seemed they only talked if they had to, and she wasn't sure she liked it. She'd thought Dad and Wanda were friends, and had enjoyed the atmosphere in the house without Clea complicating things. It made her feel guilty to say that- she did feel the beginnings of a bond with her mom, but the tension between her and Dad was just... stressful. Now he and Wanda weren't talking either... what would it be like here for Sofia if Wanda left too? She'd been like an aunt or something to Sofia, and they'd gotten really close.

Shaking her head slightly, she tried to ignore those thoughts and went to retrieve a book. A knock at the door distracted her, and she glanced up. "Come in!"

Wanda slipped into the room quietly, a soft, almost sad smile on her face. Her eyes looked duller than usual.

The hairs on the back of Sofia's neck rose up. "What's up?" Her worry about Wanda leaving made her stomach churn. _Don't be stupid_ , she told herself firmly. _Wanda's your friend. She wouldn't do that!_

Wanda's smile grew, though it seemed a bit forced. "Clea's just gotten back."

Sofia's heart jumped. "Really? Is she OK?" _Is she actually going to stay this time?_

The older woman nodded. "She's talking to your dad right now. Looks like they're finally sorting things out. I think she'll be here for a while this time."

Sofia couldn't help but grin at the thought. Maybe things would work out after all!

Wanda took a deep breath, as though steeling herself. "Sofia... I think you've noticed that things have been... awkward here lately. Between your dad and me."

Sofia tensed, not liking Wanda's tone. "W-well... yeah, but..."

Wanda spoke over her, as if she had to say this quickly. "He and I have agreed that it's best if I leave for a while, to give you three time as a proper family." _And_ , Wanda thought grimly, _For crying out loud don't ask me why, because there's no way I can explain what's led to this._ Sofia would hate Stephen- and probably Wanda herself- if she knew.

Sofia's stomach dropped. "What?! But... you..." She didn't know if she even _wanted_ to be here with Dad and Clea if Wanda wasn't here to run to when things got difficult!

Wanda put a hand on Sofia's shoulder, her own eyes already stinging. "Sofia, you _know_ I'll always be here for you if you need me. But I agree with Stephen. You need time to be with just your parents. I'm only going to be in the way." Her free hand curled into a fist. _If only Stephen and I hadn't been so reckless... having too much wine, getting carried away... I might've been able to stay here._ But not now. Not in this situation. It wouldn't be fair on anyone. She winced as Sofia's face crumpled. "Look, I will stay in touch with you. I'm not going to disappear from your life completely. And you'll still have your parents..." Her words sounded weak. She knew she was still Sofia's closest confidant here. But that role would have to go to Stephen or Clea now.

Sofia turned her back on Wanda, but squared her shoulders. "Just go. I don't think I can talk to you right now." There was a quaver in her voice that made it clear she was holding back tears.

Wanda wanted to hug her, and say it was alright, that she'd stay- but she couldn't. So she turned and left, a silent tear running down her face.

Once she'd closed to door to Sofia's room, she leaned against the wall, closing her eyes, her hands cradling her stomach protectively. _How can one night's mistake have changed so many things?_

She clenched her teeth, thinking back to that Fourth of July party. She and Stephen had stayed up, side by side on the couch talking, going through two bottles of wine. He'd been reminiscing about Clea, she'd been remembering the times she'd had with Vision, all those years ago... they'd gotten carried away, and she hadn't argued when Stephen's mouth found hers. Then one thing had led to another...

She'd woken in his bed, alone, the following day. He'd hardly spoken to her since. They were _friends_ , and they both knew that night had been a mistake. There had been a mutual unspoken decision never to mention it again.

Then Wanda had realised she was late. The pregnancy test she'd taken just over a week ago had horrified her with its 'positive' result. How _could_ this have happened? They'd slept together _once!_ The timing had been terrible, as she knew that Clea had succeeded in imprisoning Umar in the Dark Dimension and would shortly be returning here, to Stephen and Sofia. Wanda had no doubt that she and Stephen would attempt to reconcile again- Stephen had even _said_ that's what he wanted, while they'd been drunk, that night. Wanda had known then she'd have to leave. She wouldn't abort this pregnancy, but staying here and making Stephen's relationship with Clea even worse than it already was wasn't an option.

It would hurt her to leave Sofia- simply _telling_ the girl she was going had been bad enough- but it was for Sofia's sake, and the unborn child's- that she had to leave. She smiled wryly. _Ironic_. She had no idea what Stephen was going to tell Clea about her abrupt departure, but that wasn't her problem. Stephen knew about the baby- Wanda had no intention of lying to him as Clea had- but they'd agreed that his being the father would be kept secret. He had also insisted on being able to pay some kind of support, and while that had stung Wanda's pride, she'd agreed. In return, she had stated outright that he could visit if he ever wanted to see the baby, but he needn't tell Sofia and Clea about this child if he didn't want to. That would be up to him. (Wanda had a feeling Wong knew anyway- he seemed to know everything around here.)

She'd already packed, and had told Stephen she'd be leaving today. She hadn't clarified where she was going, and he hadn't asked. She'd kept putting off saying goodbye to Sofia, however, and now with Clea's sudden return... she had to leave, and soon. The _last_ thing she wanted was for Clea to figure out something was wrong and start an argument.

Wanda raised a hand and knocked gently on Sofia's door.

No response.

She bit her lip. "Sofia... I have to go now. I'm sorry. I'll call you as soon as I can. I'll miss you." There were a hundred things she wanted to say, to try and explain, but she couldn't, not without telling Sofia the truth, and what good would that do? Exhaling heavily, she managed to walk away, her heart aching. _I wish I could take Sofia with me..._ But the girl belonged with her parents.

She passed Stephen in the hallway, and he cleared his throat, as if he meant to say something, but he didn't speak. Maybe he didn't know what to say either.

Wanda avoided his eyes. "I've said goodbye to Sofia. She's a bit upset. I've said I'll stay in touch, but..."

Stephen nodded. "I hope you do. She's very fond of you."

Silence reigned for a few minutes. Wanda snapped out of it first. "Say goodbye to Wong and Clea for me."

Stephen nodded, brow furrowing. "I wish..." _I wish it hadn't come to this. I wish I hadn't been so damned foolish._ "I wish you all the best."

Wanda inclined her head as she moved past him, down the stairs, towards the front door where her bags were piled. "You too. Take care of Sofia. She's a very special girl. I hope... I hope things with Clea work out as you want this time." She walked as she spoke, so she was at the front door quickly. _Best to just get this over with_. "Look after yourself, Stephen." She opened the door, hefting her bag.

"You too." Stephen's voice was low. " _Both_ of you."

Wanda managed a nod and a smile as she walked out the door. She shouldn't complain- she was free again, with the whole world in front of her! And a baby due in approximately seven months. She squared her shoulders as she headed for the street. She'd get by. They both would. Her _and_ her baby.

Stephen watched her leave, knowing she hadn't heard his 'Sorry' when she departed his house. He couldn't shake the feeling that he'd done the wrong thing, but what other option was there? He loved Clea and probably always would, she'd said she wanted to repair their relationship, and there was Sofia to think of... No, Wanda's choice _had_ been the best one. She could have a fresh start with her baby, and he would remain in contact with her for the child's sake, while living with _his_ family. He firmly closed the door and went back inside to where his lover and daughter waited. _This is for the best_.

 **To be continued...**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

* * *

 _ **Thanks to Myth Queen and lostcointoss for all their help in finally getting this chapter done!**_

* * *

 _30th September_

 _Dear Wanda,_

 _It's weird being here without you. My parents are trying, I know, but sometimes it's like they just don't fit. Like there isn't enough room for both of them in the house. Which is wild, because this house is massive. I should be old enough by know to understand it's not my fault, or whatever it is I keep being told, and I'm sure that's true but...I can't help but feel like they'd be happier if I was back in New Orleans and they didn't have to see each other every day. And nice as it is to know my parents, I'm not sure I don't want that, too. I miss my old room and the food and my friends._

 _I miss you most of all, I think. I'm sorry I was like that when you left. It wasn't fair. I hope you're well. I hope I can see you soon._

 _Love, Sofia._

* * *

 _8th December_

 _To Wanda._

 _My mom came into my room today and tried to give me "the talk." I guess they don't have TVs or sex ed in the Dark Dimension. And anyway, I'm not sure who she thinks I'm dating. I'm not allowed out of this place unless I'm being chaperoned. For a while Mom and Dad took turns, rotating spending time with me, but lately they've started to hang out with me together. It's kind of nice, the three of us. Sometimes it almost feels like we're a real family. And sometimes my parents take off for days at a time to do whatever it is they do and I'm stuck here playing chess with Wong. He's beaten me twenty-four times in a row. We really need some new board games or a Netflix account or something. I never thought I'd miss school, but it's lonely having no one I can talk to. I really wish you were still here. You'd understand._

 _From Sofia._

* * *

 _April 20th_

 _Wanda,_

 _I went out with Wong to get some pizza last night and I met a really nice girl. I wanted to try to make friends with her, but then I got home and remembered why I stay away from normal people. I have no idea what my dad did, but when we returned we found him lying on the ground picking pieces of a shattered vase out of his hair. I couldn't get any information out of anyone-which is infuriating!-but from what little I was able to piece together, fights like this aren't that uncommon. If the muttering I managed to overhear is to be believed, my dad has a habit of provoking my mom, and she has a habit of reacting violently. Wong seemed pretty adamant that I'm in no danger. He let something slip about Dad having a "special gift for idiocy," but I don't know. I mean, I'm not afraid for myself, but I wonder how much flying crockery any relationship can sustain?_

 _I wish I could leave. Just for a while. Maybe visit you, wherever you are? I need a vacation from all this weirdness._

 _Love Sofia._

* * *

Sofia re-read the short notes she'd written for Wanda over the past few months and sighed heavily. She wasn't even sure why she'd written them, as she had no idea where Wanda was and no way to actually send the letters. It was cathartic, letting her feelings out, she supposed, but it didn't really change anything. Shaking her head, she put the folded letters back in her sock drawer where she always hid them, and stood, stretching. Her dad was supposed to be overseeing her magic lesson of the day- he'd been teaching her new spells when he could, and he liked to see how much she'd learned. Her mom had gone, of course, having stormed off after the fight last night. It could be hours, days or weeks til she came back. Sofia never knew where she went, and Dad didn't talk about it.

Footsteps on the landing outside her room, followed by a knock on the door, made her smile. She went to open it.

"Hi, Dad- oh. Wong." Sofia's face fell.

Wong inclined his head slightly. "Stephen told me to apologise, Sofia, but he won't be able to carry out your lesson today. He's had to go attend to-"

"Important matters elsewhere, but he'll make it up to me. I know, I know, I've only heard it about a hundred times." Sofia huffed, going back to her bed and flopping down on it. "I don't know why I can never go and _help_ with whatever he's doing. I might be useful!"

"I'm sure you would be, but your father would never risk you that way. Not until you've had sufficient training."

"Which I won't get, because he's never here to teach me!"

Wong exhaled heavily. "I understand it seems unfair, Sofia, but your father's duties have to come first." He paused, as if waiting for her to snap back.

Her shoulders slumped. "Whatever." She couldn't be bothered to keep having the same argument. It clearly wasn't going to do any good.

Wong raised a brow at her unusually calm response, but let the matter go. "Shall we play chess again?"

Sofia fought the urge to groan. "No... I'm not really in the mood today..." Her forehead creased as an idea came to her. "Do you mind if I go exploring the Sanctum?"

Wong tensed. "Sofia, this house contains a lot of dangerous artifacts..."

" _Please_?" Sofia made her eyes go as big and pleading as possible. "I promise I won't touch anything, or try and go through any sealed doors..."

Wong tried to avoid eye contact, and Sofia stifled a grin. She knew from previous ice-cream stealing escapades that Wong was a sucker for puppy-dog eyes. She blinked a few times to make her eyes well. "Please? I really just want to be distracted from Mom and Dad fighting again..."

Wong sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "Fine. You touch nothing, do not go through any doors that lead outside the Sanctum for any reason, don't talk to anything you meet, mark your way so you don't get lost, and take your cell phone with you so you can call me whe- if you get into trouble."

Sofia nodded eagerly, heart pounding. There were so many rooms here that Dad had said she couldn't go in, and some of them looked so interesting! She was so pleased to have gotten a chance to explore that she barely heard Wong's list of rules. She grinned, hugging him (to his shock), grabbed her cell and ran off. Wong might have called after her, but she'd pretend she hadn't heard.

Darting into Dad's study first, she headed straight for the concealed door at the back that she knew led into the other, hidden from outside, dimension-folded rooms of the Sanctum. Slipping through, she found herself in a long corridor, lined with doors that led to other passages. She smirked. Where to go first?

Glancing left and right, she shrugged. Drawing a nickel from her pants pocket, she flipped it. Heads. Left it was. She walked slowly, eyeing the intricately carved designs on each door, before choosing one at random. It clicked open at her touch, and she peered through- only to get a face full of freezing air and snow. She slammed it shut quickly, shivering. _Not going in there!_

 _Do not go through any doors that lead outside the Sanctum for any reason_. Wong's stern warning echoed in her mind, but she shrugged it off, ignoring the prick of guilt. She knew how to defend herself now, and she'd only go somewhere for a quick look around. What could possibly happen?

She walked on, trying each door, looking for somewhere that seemed fun to explore. She found:

A rainbow bridge leading through space, ending in a golden city. (Asgard maybe? She wondered. She'd read about the Bifrost...)

A city from a sci-fi book, inhabited by blue-skinned humanoids speaking a language she didn't understand a word of. (Aliens might be cool, but she didn't want to end up eaten or enslaved.)

A dead, barren desert that seemed to have two moons in the sky. (She mentally christened it Tattooine, though it probably _wasn't_ a world from Star Wars. Probably.)

A forest landscape that looked like it belonged in Lewis Carroll's 'Alice in Wonderland'. (She even caught a glimpse of a giant caterpillar with a hookah, but slammed that door shut quickly. That was just too weird!)

The next door was covered in protection sigils, powerful ones, so Sofia cracked the door open tentatively. Peeking through, she saw a shadowy landscape, with broken, rocky terrain, illuminated by dim red light that somehow gave off heat, making Sofia feel ill and tired. Glancing at the landscape, she could see everything from desert to swamps, and it seemed to be _changing_ \- bones jutted out of the swamp which was dotted with heaps of _burning snow_ and then the rocks were melting, and wait- was something moving out the corner of her eye? She leaped backwards with a scream as a seven foot tall purple... _thing_ with six eyes, four arms with razor like claws and _two mouths_ hissed and screeched at her. She was just able to slam the door shut, but not before catching a glimpse of... _something_... huge, shadowy with searing red eyes...

Staggering back, Sofia nearly collapsed against the wall, shaking, as the door vibrated as something slammed into it, and the protective wards glowed bright white.

Breathing shakily, feeling like she might faint, she slowly got to her feet, those horrific scarlet eyes boring into her mind still. She turned and all but ran back towards her dad's study, wishing she'd never thought to explore. Dark, painful thoughts kept swirling in her mind. Her parents didn't want her, they had no time for her, and she'd be better off finding someone else to take her in. She was nothing but a burden here, and unwanted. Weak and useless.

Tears ran down Sofia's face as she reached the study. Why was she still here, when she wasn't wanted? She should go find Wanda. That would be the useful thing to do. She could be of more help there... She began digging through Stephen's desk, abruptly certain that he must know where Wanda had fled to. She paused for a second. _Fled?_ Where had that come from?

Her hands brushed a letter, addressed to somewhere in Lethbridge, Canada. Ripping open the envelope, she saw Wanda's name on it in Stephen's handwriting, and smiled. Now she could do what she had to, and find Wanda. She didn't know where Lethbridge actually was, but the words for a portal were bubbling in her mind, and she obediently said them, knowing that she'd end up where she was meant to be.

Sofia paused again as the portal appeared. Should she leave a note for Wong and her parents? They might worry...

 _ **'No need. You can let them know what is afoot once you arrive. But you must go now.**_ '

Sofia nodded, already eager to see Wanda. She stepped through the portal, leaving the Sanctum behind.

She never noticed the dark shadow that had followed her since the last portal-door, nor was she aware that it was laughing as she vanished.

It chuckled ominously as the mortal girl disappeared. It would be dragged back to its own realm, where it was tethered, in a matter of minutes, but once the child made contact with its host, a more permanent return would be imminent. And this time, it would _not_ be stopped. Earth would be its domain once more!

* * *

Wanda sat on a blanket in her tiny front yard, her one-storey home providing some shelter from the chilly wind that seemed to be a permanent feature here in Lethbridge. She glanced around with a soft sigh. The cream-painted house was worn, clearly needing some work, but there were stores and a library nearby, and the neighbourhood was nice. People here were friendlier than back in America, and the two-bedroom house was just right for her, so all in all, she could have chosen a worse place to settle.

Stephen's 'donations' had helped more than she'd wanted to admit, but she was also helping out part-time in a local creche now, so money wasn't too tight.

Newborn Kya, only a week old, snuffled as she slowly woke up. Wanda adjusted the blanket, smiling tenderly down at her daughter. "Morning, beautiful." she cooed, knowing she'd have to go inside soon- Kya would need to be fed, and she wasn't comfortable enough to do that outdoors in view of the street.

Kya's blue eyes opened, staring at her mother, and Wanda's heart swelled with love. The baby was so innocent, so trusting that Wanda could take care of her, and so helpless and fragile, that just looking at her made her want to weep, and at the same time made her so savagely protective that she knew she'd kill to protect her baby.

Kya began fussing, and Wanda stood carefully to head inside, when she felt a familiar swell of magic and tensed. It had been years since she'd had a Chthonic episode, but she recognised the sensation of the demon's power all too easily. Clutching Kya more tightly, she braced herself, ready to run back to the house and activate the concealed wards she'd set there.

She kept her eyes on the small patch of lawn where the power was strongest, then gasped when Sofia Strange stepped from the portal, smiling eagerly, appearing completely normal.

She took another step back- the power signature had not changed. Chthon had a hand in this. "Sofia?" Wanda tried to keep her voice steady. What was going on here?

The girl beamed at her, utterly guileless. "Wanda. I knew the portal would work!" she ran forward to hug her. "I missed you!"

Wanda unfroze enough to be able to wrap an arm round Sofia's shoulders, even while her instincts screamed at her to run. She stared into Sofia's eyes. "I missed you too... what are you doing here?"

Sofia's face fell slightly. "I got tired of Stephen and Clea always fighting so I did what I was meant to and came here to see you!"

Wanda forced a smile, noting the odd words. "What do you mean, did what you were meant to?" She was beginning to grasp what might be going on, and began to feel anger alongside her fear. What had Chthon done to Sofia? And how had it been _able_ to get near her at all?

Sofia blinked. "What?" She looked a bit puzzled. "I..." More blinking. "I just felt like I had to come to you. Don't you want to see me?" Hurt flashed across her face.

Wanda thought fast. She was almost certain now that Sofia had somehow come under Chthon's influence, and was petrified of the reason why. Twin instincts warred inside her- she couldn't let someone under Chthon's control come into her home and put her and her baby at risk, but on the other hand, she couldn't just leave Sofia at Chthon's mercy, or utter lack thereof.

Sofia's eyes moved to Kya, who was now squirming in Wanda's arms. As Sofia looked at her, the baby began to cry.

"Aww, a baby! Congratulations." Sofia reached out to stroke Kya's face. "How old is she?"

"A week." Wanda's voice was tight, as she fought the urge to smack Sofia's hand away from her baby. If Sofia knew about Kya, so now, most likely, did Chthon.

It was Wanda's worst nightmare, that _thing_ getting anywhere near her child. But she _couldn't_ just turn Sofia away... Stepping back from Sofia, she gestured. "Come into the back yard so we can talk." She tried for a welcoming smile. Sofia seemed to have no idea that she'd brought an uninvited guest with her, so there might be a peaceful way out of this.

"'kay." Sofia followed her easily enough. Once they were safely concealed in Wanda's back yard, the older woman took a deep breath, and rapidly cast a binding spell, to keep Sofia from leaving or from using any magic.

Sofia stared at her as the glowing blue energy encircled her. "What the...?!"

Wanda grimaced. "I'm sorry about this, but you're in trouble. I can't let you hurt us or yourself."

Sofia struggled. There was a momentary red flash in her green eyes that was gone a second later. "What are you _talking_ about? Why are you doing this? I thought we were friends!"

"We are. I'm trying to help you." Wanda thought fast. She'd have to walk away from Sofia to go inside and contact Stephen for help, but who knew what Chthon might try if she did that? Heart sinking, she realised she had no choice. She met Sofia's eyes. "You'll understand when this is over."

She walked indoors as fast as she could, rapidly checking Kya to make sure Chthon hadn't tried to infect her baby. Thankfully, she sensed nothing like that in the newborn's soul. Exhaling shakily, she began to gather her thoughts to call to Stephen (not relishing the thought of seeing him again but knowing he had to be told, as no-one else could help) when Sofia screamed as if in pain, then a deeper, inhuman voice echoed from outside, roiling like thunder under the ocean, making every nerve in Wanda's body tense and quiver.

" **You cannot escape this! I WILL reclaim you, body and soul. You are and will ever be my possession to use as I see fit. This child and your whelp will be the first of our sacrifices to begin my reign of this dimension. Your fate is sealed. Join me willingly, and the children** _ **may**_ **be spared. Resist, and I will make you watch their deaths, for as many times as I wish to recall and kill them again."**

Wanda shuddered at Chthon's threats, but knew that as long as Sofia's body was restrained, talk was all the demon could do. Forcing herself to ignore the terrifying words, she concentrated on reaching Stephen. There _had_ to be a way to stop this...

 _ **To be continued...**_


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

Wanda nearly screamed in frustration when no response came to her mental calls. She'd been trying to reach Stephen for nearly an hour now. Either something had happened to him, or he was too busy to respond to her, or Chthon was preventing it somehow. She ran her hands through her hair in desperation. _Now what do I do?_ She'd settled Kya in the Moses basket for a nap, and the baby was sound asleep. A quick glance outside showed that Sofia/Chthon was still bound, but the bonds were weakening. They wouldn't last much longer, and if the demon escaped, they were all dead. She couldn't let it come to that.

Inhaling deeply, she considered her options. Alright, she couldn't call for help from another sorcerer. But she wasn't totally helpless. She thought hard. If Stephen had been here, his first move would probably be to enter Sofia's mind and attempt to cast Chthon out. She could attempt the same thing... She didn't have the amount of skill that Stephen did at such things, but there were few other options.

A shiver ran down her spine as the long list of risks involved ran through her mind; Her physical body would be unguarded, as would Sofia's, Kya- her precious baby- would be unattended for who knew how long, and then there was the _slightly_ important detail that she and Sofia could lose the mental battle...

She crushed her doubts. The longer she waited, the more chance there was of irreparable harm being done to Sofia. And if she went into this battle unsure of victory, then Chthon had already won.

Quickly running to her room, she gathered supplies- protective herbs and amulets, candles, chalk- and raced back downstairs. Returning to where Kya slept, she began incanting, charms for peace, sleep and protection, as she drew a circle on the ground, surrounding the Moses basket. Finishing, she pressed a kiss to Kya's forehead with a murmured 'I love you' to her daughter before taking several calming breaths and heading back to the yard, to face Chthon.

He leered at her, the expression looking even uglier on Sofia's innocent face, and Wanda struggled to ignore it as she chalked more runes and a more powerful circle, enclosing herself on one half and Chthon on the other. Once the circle was complete, Wanda sank into a lotus position, centering and focusing her thoughts, concentrating on memories of Sofia, of the sense she'd gotten of the girl's mind during the months they'd spent together.

She felt a faint response, and her heart leapt- Sofia was still in there somewhere! Closing her eyes, she let her astral form leave her body, praying the bindings on Chthon would stop him leaving Sofia's body and taking hers, and imagined herself in a mindscape, looking for Sofia, travelling towards the presence she'd sensed a moment ago.

Feeling solid ground beneath her feet, she started and her eyes shot open. Had it worked? She stood in a place that looked like a mash-up of New Orleans and the Sanctum Sanctorum- if both of them were recovering from a volcanic eruption! The air was thick, and stank of brimstone. What little light there was, was red. All the buildings and rooms that made up Sofia's mental landscape were damaged, derelict and burning. Shadows lurked everywhere, moving and growing. Wanda clenched her teeth, remembering the tell-tale signs of an attack from Chthon from her own experiences with the demonic Elder God years ago. She 'listened' for the presence of Sofia, no doubt hiding somewhere, petrified. Feeling a tug towards an apartment in the 'New Orleans' section of the landscape, Wanda set off that way, tense and wary for any attack on her Chthon might try.

To her shock, and growing unease, there appeared to be no sign of him. A cold shiver ran down Wanda's spine as the implications hit her. He could be attacking Sofia's true self right now, and if he overcame the teenager and took full control while Wanda was here astrally... She shuddered and began moving faster, nearly running the last few steps towards the apartment block.

Once inside, she looked around, only then realising that she didn't actually know which floor Sofia had lived on when she'd lived in New Orleans. Frowning, she went to examine the elevator numbers. Sometimes, in the mindscape, objects could be manipulated to reveal information.

She raised her hand, running it parallel to the line of numbers. The button for the twelfth floor lit up as her fingertips brushed over it, and she felt a stronger surge of Sofia's presence- and a huge amount of fear. Taking a deep breath, she stepped into the elevator, pressing the '12' button. She had no way of knowing if this was a trap, but she _had_ sensed Sofia, so all she could do was go up there and pray she wasn't already too late.

The elevator made ominous creaking noises as it ascended, but Wanda took no notice. _I am in control at this point. Nothing is going to go wrong. I am going to get to the twelfth floor safely_. She kept reciting that to herself, imposing her will on her surroundings.

The elevator doors hissed open. The corridor beyond was dimly lit and hard to see. Wanda squared her shoulders as she stepped out.

She was now on the first floor of the Sanctum, although it was as damaged as everything else here. Ignoring the logic (or lack thereof) of this place, she strode forward, going with her first guess that Sofia would be in her own bedroom, and opened the door as quickly as she could, bracing herself for what she'd see.

Sofia's room appeared relatively undamaged, though it was more than half occupied by the formless shadow of Chthon itself. Wanda fought down the urge to run from it, and instead glanced around rapidly, hoping to get some idea of where Sofia was.

 _There_. The closet door was shut, and glowed bright white despite the darkness of Chthon. The demon crept closer, only to recoil. Wanda's heart nearly stopped. Was _Sofia_ keeping him at bay like this, keeping herself hidden? That demonstrated an incredibly powerful will (or just stubborness) to separate one's spirit from body and keep the true self from corruption.

However, against a being like Chthon, that could only work for so long, and there was another risk- the longer this went on, the more chance that Sofia would never be able to regain control of her physical self. So Wanda needed to deal with Chthon _now_.

Bracing herself, she stepped towards the closet, fighting the urge to shudder as the movement took her closer to Chthon, who now loomed over her.

" **You cannot triumph here, Witch**."

Wanda put a huge amount of her willpower into this, picturing her words like blows: "You are not real. You aren't here."

Chthon was forced back, but only a few inches. It was enough- just. Wanda raced to the closet door and knocked with her fist. "Sofia, it's Wanda! I can get us out of here, but I need your help. I-"

Her focus had slipped and Chthon lashed out. Whips like fire cascaded over her back and shoulders. Despite knowing she had no real physical injury, the pain was excruciating and Wanda cried out.

The whips became hooks and she felt Chthon dragging her backwards, away from the closet and Sofia. He laughed chillingly.

" **You cannot save the sorcerer's whelp! You cannot even save yourself!** "

Black spots flickered across Wanda's vision. She struggled to focus on the fading white glow of the closet door. Chthon's shadow began to engulf her, and she shouted desperately. "Sofia! I know you probably hate me for leaving like I did, I'm sorry! I will explain everything, I swear. You don't ever have to forgive me," (It hurt Wanda to say that), "but if you don't help me now, we're done for!"

Chthon laughed. " **Pitiful. Utter weakness. And I had such hopes for you, my Scarlet Witch... perhaps this young female will prove a better tool for me**..."

"I AM NOT YOURS!" Dazzling white light surged from the closet, and the door slammed open, blinding Wanda and making Chthon roar in pain.

* * *

Sofia's heart was pounding so fast she thought she might faint, and she had no real idea what was going on. She remembered exploring the Sanctum, then the weird red light from that Hell-place, then she was at Wanda's (how had she gotten there and why?) but it was like watching a dream- she'd spoken to Wanda, and seen her baby, but it hadn't been _her_ talking.

Then everything had gone black, and she'd found herself in this bizarre amalgam of her former home and her current one, and that shadowy thing had been spreading everywhere, turning the place into a wasteland. She'd run for her old apartment, wanting to get _away_ from all this craziness, and had run into her home only to find herself in the Sanctum again! She was seriously starting to wonder if this was all some freaky dream, but then the Shadow had come after her so she had run to hide, slamming her bedroom and the closet doors, and visualising both rooms full of bright light, hoping that would keep the Shadow-thing away. It had worked, but she'd got tired fast and it had gotten into her room. The closet was still safe (and glowing) but Sofia had no idea how long she'd been there. Then she'd heard Wanda's voice.

She hadn't moved at first, afraid it was a trick to get her to come out, but then she'd heard the conversation between Wanda and that... thing, and Wanda got hurt. Sofia had concentrated hard, ignoring her fear, and light had begun to appear _from_ her, which was beyond weird, but what the heck. She burst from the closet with a defiant yell at the _thing,_ that she wasn't its property, knowing this was a stupid move, exposing herself, but desperate to help Wanda. Light banished shadows, right? Why would it be any different with a magical light and an evil shadow creature? Besides, she meant what she'd said. She didn't belong to this _demon_!

With light still radiating from her, she reached for Wanda's hand, horrified to see her friend half engulfed by the shadow-demon. She clasped Wanda's hand, hanging on to her, and focused on bringing forth more and more light.

The shadow was being driven backwards, hissing. Sofia's resolve strengthened as her trick worked. "That's right, get out of here, and don't come back!"

It tried to lunge forward, but began dissipating in the blinding light.

" **This is... not possible!** " It howled, but its voice was growing fainter. Sofia kept concentrating.

"You're nothing but a nightmare. You don't exist." Her words were determined. " _Leave_."

One more flash of light and it was gone. Sofia fell to her knees, gasping. Wanda was staring at her in shock, her eyes wide.

Sofia inhaled shakily. "You OK?"

"Y-yes. Sofia, _how_ did you do that?"

She blinked. "Um... I don't know. I just kept thinking that it was a shadow, and bright light would get rid of it, and it just sort of... worked?"

Wanda still looked stunned. Sofia huffed. "You're welcome!"

"I- I mean, thank you, obviously, but..." The older woman looked thoughtful. "You don't know what that entity was, do you?"

Sofia shook her head. "No, and I don't want to!"

"Maybe that's how you were able to banish him... you don't understand his true power, so he did not _have_ it here in your mind." Wanda's voice was thoughtful, her brow furrowed.

Sofia folded her arms. "The only part of that I really got was that we're in my mind. That's actually creepy so... can we get _out_ of here now?"

Wanda nodded, standing and tugging Sofia up with her. "Of course. Close your eyes."

Sofia obediently did as she was told. The next thing she knew, she'd opened them again, and sunlight was beaming down, making her squint. Slowly she realised she was still in Wanda's yard and looked around, bemused. _Huh. Guess that all really did happen in my mind... Magic gets weirder every day._ She smiled at Wanda, who tentatively returned the expression.

"Sofia, I don't want to worry you, but in a minute, you're probably going to start feeling exhausted. You should sit down."

"That would be a wonderful idea." Stephen's voice sounded from the house's back door. "And when you're sitting comfortably, you can explain exactly what's going on and why your mother and I both felt such fear from you, _hours_ after you disappeared from the Sanctum without a word. Then we track you here, and find you and Wanda both in a trance that even I couldn't rouse you from!"

Sofia paled, biting her lip as she sat down slowly (she _was_ tired to the point of dizziness), and gulped. "Um, Wong knew I was exploring..."

"Yes." Clea's voice came from behind Stephen. "And he had your word you would _not_ use any portals, yet clearly you did." She stepped around Stephen, and it was only then that Sofia (and Wanda) noticed that she was cradling baby Kya. Her blue eyes flicked from Kya, to Wanda, then Stephen, before she actually looked at Sofia. "I think we deserve some explanations..."

 **To be continued...**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

* * *

Wanda stepped forward, taking Kya from Clea's arms, quickly checking that her little daughter was well. (How long had she and Sofia been senseless in their shared trance, battling Chthon? How long had she left Kya alone?!) The baby was fine, lying there sleepily, so Wanda turned her attention to Clea and Stephen. "Look, I know this isn't my business, but I don't think Sofia used any portals intentionally." She glanced at the girl, now slumped on the garden bench, obviously barely keeping her eyes open.

Stephen arched a brow, waiting for her to continue. Wanda swallowed hard before making herself speak. "She somehow came into contact with Chthon and he puppeteered her into coming here." She locked her eyes on the ground. It always seemed to come back to her, with Chthon, and she couldn't bring herself to look at Sofia, or her parents. It was _her_ fault that Sofia had been in danger, Chthon wouldn't have had any reason to target her if Wanda wasn't a friend of hers...

 _Except that Chthon has as much reason to hate Stephen as he does you_. A tiny, reasonable voice in her mind piped up. She ignored it- she wouldn't let herself off this time!

Clea had gone pale. "Chthon?" She darted to Sofia's side, putting an arm round her half-asleep daughter.

Wanda remembered then, that for all Clea's experience dealing with the supernatural and creatures from alternate dimensions, she'd never actually come face to face with that Elder God.

Stephen looked as unflappable as he normally did, but his eyes roamed over Sofia, and Wanda quickly.

"Knock off the 'doctor' expression, Dad," Sofia yawned. "We're fine. 'M just tired."

Wanda fought back a smirk, listening to Sofia being sassy. She'd missed the girl's company more than she thought, as she'd lived out here, waiting to have Kya. And even after she was born, a baby wasn't a substitute for older company. Actually seeing Sofia, Stephen and even Clea, despite the circumstances, reminded Wanda how lonely she'd been, despite her even denying it to herself.

Kya stirred in Wanda's arms, beginning to open and close her mouth as if suckling. Wanda looked round at her 'guests', feeling self-conscious. "She needs feeding... I'd better take her inside. You can come in, if you want..." She trailed off as she walked inside, planning to go upstairs and feed Kya in her bedroom, not knowing if the others had followed or not. This was so awkward! Sofia had been oblivious to the implications of Wanda having had a baby not long after moving out of the Sanctum, Clea (hopefully) knew nothing either, yet she herself, and Stephen, knew Kya's paternity, and thus couldn't even make eye contact with each other. Their one night stand had been a lapse in judgement, they'd both admitted that, and while Wanda would never wish little Kya away, she was mortified now to think that she'd _slept_ with _Stephen!_

Sighing, she sat on her bed, taking a deep breath and trying to relax as she nursed Kya. She smiled down at her daughter, feeding contentedly. _At least you're easy to please. Your life is so uncomplicated. Enjoy it while it lasts, sweetie_. She stroked the downy brown hair as Kya finished feeding and drifted off to sleep. Moving slowly, Wanda settled Kya in her crib, covering her up with a soft blanket, then quietly making her way downstairs.

Sofia was sound asleep on the living room sofa. Stephen and Clea were seated at the dining table, deep in conversation. Wanda eyed them from the stairs. The talk seemed intense, but not angry, and the whole place wasn't lit up by a magical fireworks display, so they weren't arguing, and (hopefully) Clea hadn't figured out the truth about Kya. Clearing her throat to get their attention, Wanda nodded at them when they looked up, before moving to join them at the table. (Well, why not? It was _her_ home, after all!)

Clea's cool blue eyes locked on her. "I think, now we're alone, you should tell us exactly what happened. How did Chthon manage to reach Sofia?"

"More to the point," Stephen added, "How did you and she both escape apparently unscathed?"

Wanda inhaled deeply. "Like I said, I'm not sure how he got a hold of her-"

"It might just have been that she was poking around dimensional doorways too close to Chthon's realm," Stephen mused. "A magical signature as strong as hers would have drawn his gaze if she were near enough. And if he then learned from Sofia's mind of her friendship with you..."

Wanda accepted the possibility that it might not have been _only_ because of her that Sofia was targeted with relief. "However it happened, he made her come here, and she sounded like herself when she arrived, but I could sense Chthon's presence within her. She had no idea, but..." She shook her head, going on to relate how she'd bound Sofia in a protective circle, then entered her mind to try and free her. "But, in the end, she got rid of Chthon on her own." Another head-shake. "I know belief is power in the Astral Plane, especially in someone's own mind, but... _willing_ the essence of an Elder God out of her mind simply by making light banish shadow... It beggars belief."

Stephen looked astounded. His mouth actually hung open a little. "I've never heard of such a thing."

Clea propped her chin on her hand. "It makes sense, though. Chthon needs belief and fear to sustain his presence on Earth. It stands to reason that that belief could be used against him." She looked at Wanda. "Didn't your friends in the Avengers accomplish something similar to what Sofia did, years ago, when Chthon possessed you at Wundagore?"

Wanda shuddered at the memory, but nodded. "They were able to work as one, funneling Chthon's essence into a carved wooden figurine that my spirit had been banished to, while restoring me to my body. The doll was then buried in an avalanche, left to rot at the base of Mount Wundagore."

Stephen waved his hands in a frustrated gesture. "But that was in a location where raw chaos magic saturated the area! If Sofia really did this, with no external help..." He closed his eyes.

"Her powers will be phenomenal someday." Wanda said softly. "Especially if she's like me, and exposure to Chthon strengthened her abilities..." She glanced over at the sleeping teen in the next room. Sofia looked so _young..._

Stephen put his head in his hands. "We don't have the time we need to train her as it is! If her magic becomes harder to control..."

Wanda tensed. Surely he wasn't going to suggest sending Sofia away from her home!

He exhaled heavily. "I don't know what to do." His words were barely a mutter. Not that Wanda was surprised- if there was one thing Stephen Strange hated, it was having to admit he didn't have an answer.

She met Clea's eyes, and saw her own thoughts (and hidden amusement) in them.

"Stephen, I think it's obvious what the solution here is." The white-haired woman sounded like she was trying not to roll her eyes. "You and I cannot be the constant presence Sofia needs to protect her, nor would either of us leave her with someone she is not familiar with. But that does not mean there _is_ no choice." Her blue eyes locked on Wanda. "I know I had difficulty accepting it at first, but you and Sofia are close, and you aren't constantly off fighting otherworldly threats. Wouldn't it make more sense if you moved back to the Sanctum? You'd be safe there, so would your baby, and considering Chthon knows where this place is now..." Clea let her words trail off, her meaning obvious.

Wanda tried to let this sink in. Clea was right, and it was incredibly generous of her to admit that Wanda knew Sofia better, but moving back to the Sanctum, _with_ Kya? She glanced Stephen's way to gauge his reaction.

His face was impassive. Looking at him, Wanda felt no pull, no repeat of the desire (or madness) that had overtaken her (and him) all those months ago. So _maybe_ this could work, and they could rebuild a friendship between them. But if Clea learned Kya's paternity, or if Sofia did... what then?

Clea huffed at Wanda's lack of response. "Oh, for goodness sake, and after all the fuss you made about me not letting Stephen be in Sofia's life! Are you really such a hypocrite that you'd deny your own daughter her father?"

Wanda's jaw dropped and she glared at Stephen. He'd _told_ her?! But no, he looked as flabbergasted as she did. They both looked at Clea, dumbfounded.

She arched a brow. "Why are you both looking like beached fish? Stephen, I've _told_ you you talk in your sleep! I've known about the child for months." She took a deep breath, fighting back some strong emotion. "But if Sofia, and you, Stephen, could forgive me for my poor choices, then who am I to blame you, or anyone else, for what you already know was a genuine mistake? Especially since it was likely brought on by a surplus of human emotion, which was caused as a result of my actions. Besides," she smiled weakly, "The little one is adorable, and helping take care of her will at least give Sofia something to do rather than sit around the house all the while."

Stephen cleared his throat, sitting up straight, trying to look professional despite his ears still being red from embarrassment. "She makes a good point. And, honestly, it _would_ be safer for you, little Kya, _and_ Sofia, if you were all in the same place. You could be monitored more carefully, and get help faster, if Chthon tries anything again..."

Wanda nodded slowly. "Alright, you're right." she exhaled. "I'll come back. To give it a try, at least."

"Huh?" Sofia stood in the doorway, clearly having only just woken and missed most of the conversation. She yawned and stretched, then stared at Wanda. "Wait, did you say you were coming home?"

"I... yes." Wanda hesitated. What if Sofia didn't want her there anymore? "Unless you'd rather I didn't, I wouldn't want to make you put up with me, especially now I've got Kya, but if you're happy to have me stay there again..."

Sofia running to her to hug her tightly was answer enough.

Sofia was grinning widely to herself. Her parents and her 'aunt' and a new gorgeous baby cousin to play with, all living in the same home at last! Things couldn't get any better than this!

* * *

 _ **To be continued...**_


End file.
